Beyond the Looking Glass
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: Just as the seasons change every year, so do people. The lengths one man will go in order to prove that he's not the same as he once was, despite how out of character it is. Noriaki x Hikari
1. Browbeat

**Beyond the Looking Glass**

_Chapter One_

-Browbeat-

"Now I want you all to listen to me. You know how I hate to repeat myself." A dark haired man sighed, crossing his arms over his torso. His forest green eyes looked over the three children before him. They all looked similar to the other, especially the two boys on either side of the young girl. They all had black hair just like their father's, but sea foam green eyes, courtesy of their mother.

"Kanamé." Akito spoke, meeting the gaze of the eldest of his triplets. The boy was a bit taller than the other two, his spiky black hair falling in his eyes and parting off to the side.

"Yes sir?"

"Make sure you're not so reclusive. You know your mother likes it when you're more outgoing. I know that the only friends you really need are your family, but to appease the pink harpy junior, I mean…your mother." He coughed. "Just try and smile a bit more."

"Yes sir." Kanamé repeated, nodding.

Akito shifted his gaze to the younger of the two boys, hardening slightly. "Noriaki." He almost scolded, making the boy wince. He had dark spiky locks that pointed out in all directions, his bangs covering his forehead and the tops of his jade depths. "I don't want to hear a complaint from your teacher about your behavior. Just because we are superior to everyone, doesn't mean you have to shove it down their throat. So cut the attitude and stop acting out."

The young boy rolled his eyes, huffing as he crossed his arms and glared off. Then the elder Uchiha glanced to his daughter, whose dark hair was down to her waist, falling around her, with her bangs cascading around her face. "Yes Daddy?" she spoke softly, making Akito smile. He kneeled down in front of her and took her small hands in his.

"You have a wonderful day little princess. And when you come home, you can tell me all about it." he said.

Izayoi, the youngest of the triplets, beamed. "Of course Daddy!" she giggled, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Akito hugged his only daughter back before standing up and nodding to his eldest children.

"Have a good first day at the academy." He told them before gesturing for them to continue into the school. The three walked in together, staying side by side.

Izayoi sighed, looking around nervously. "I wonder what the academy is going to be like. You think there will be lots of kids?"

"Who cares." Noriaki scoffed. "They aren't as good as us."

"Don't say that." Kanamé said sternly, giving his brother a warning glance. "Everyone is special in their own way."

The younger male shook his head. "That's only something the weak say to make themselves feel better."

"Whatever. Just stop." The elder triplet ordered and walked into their classroom. The place was filled with students that were already headed for their seats. It was loud, and people were laughing, which made the triplets uncomfortable. They weren't used to such activities or this much noise, unless Noriaki was chasing Hayate around and trying to get him to do something dangerous.

It was then that a girl with shoulder length white hair came up to them, her bangs falling so that they almost covered her eyes, a friendly smile on her face. "Hi. I'm Takata Hikari, you guys must be the Uchiha triplets. I heard you were going to be in our class, but I've never seen you before. Nice to meet you." she said, holding her hand out towards Izayoi.

The dark haired girl smiled and reached out to take the offered limb, but before she could Noriaki was between the two, knocking their hands to the side. "Why is your hair white? Are you an old granny?" he smirked then, looking devious. "You fail enough times at the ninja academy old woman? Huh?"

Her large violet eyes widened slightly as she brought her hand back to her body. "…no. I get it from my daddy." Hikari said, somewhat timidly.

Izayoi shoved her brother out of the way, glaring over at him. "Don't listen to him. He's just being a jerk." She said, taking Hikari's hand in her own and touching her free one over it. "My name is Uchiha Izayoi, it's so nice to meet you Hikari." She smiled.

Kanamé nodded and stepped up behind his sister. "Yes. Very nice to meet you." he spoke softly, his eyes focusing on the two girls' joined ones. Noriaki was on the other side of his sister instantly, pulling her hands back as if protecting them.

"If you would refrain from touching my sister, Granny, it would be better for you." he whipped out.

Hikari frowned. "I'm not a granny. I'm only seven." She argued.

"Whatever. White is lack of color, which means you are a lack of interest." The middle triplet scoffed, walking off to find a seat. Kanamé shook his head and followed his brother to give him a silent talking to.

The young girl watched the two walk away, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. Izayoi frowned and reached out, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't listen to him Hikari, my brother is a big mouth. Actually, he's being pretty aggressive, so I think he might like you. He's not very good with words, just don't worry about him."

"Well I don't like him very much." She said, looking back to the ebony haired girl. "Will you sit next to me? Or do you want to sit with your brothers? I understand if you do."

"Please." The female Uchiha laughed. "I have to be with them _all_ the time. I was so excited when my mom talked my dad into letting us attend the academy. It's why we're a year older than everyone." She explained.

"Why wouldn't he let you join sooner?" the pale haired girl asked, confused.

Izayoi sighed, walking with Hikari to their seats in the front, only to have Noriaki mutter something about 'nerd' towards the white haired girl. "Well," she began. "Since my dad is the Hokage and we're from the Uchiha line, he doesn't think regular ninja academy is good enough. So we've been learning from my grandfather, mother, and father. Plus we go to Suna all the time to visit my grandparents. But my mom thinks it'll be good to make new friends and to get out of the house more. I think it's just cause' she wants to have more sex with my dad, but I'm still excited." She smiled.

Hikari giggled. "Well I'm glad. I don't really have any friends, so it makes me happy that you're going this year."

"We can definitely be friends." The girl nodded.

The class was called to attention then, and their teacher began the class by introducing himself. His name was Iruka, and he told them all of the things that they were going to learn. The class seemed to go on for hours, until finally they were dismissed for lunch and recess. Hikari picked up her lunch box and smiled at her new friend. "You want to eat lunch with me? I know the best spot on the playground, you can see everything from there." She said, sounding excited.

"Izayoi is too young and vibrant to spend her lunch time with someone as old as you, Granny." Noriaki smirked, appearing beside his sister and looping his arm with hers. "Isn't that right dear sister?" he asked, touching his finger to the underside of her jaw.

"Noriaki." She huffed, brushing his hand away, a small pink blush on her face. "Stop being so mean to Hikari, she's younger than you. So how can she be old like a granny?"

The elder brother snickered, shifting his jade gaze to the girl, moving around his sister until he was in front of Hikari. He lifted his hand to her face and grabbed some of her hair. "Cause' she's a liar." He said simply, tugging on the pale locks. "I mean look at all those wrinkles."

Hikari gasped, her face heating up from embarrassment and outrage. She reached up with the hand holding her lunch box and tried to cover her face, while using the other hand to grab onto the hair that Noriaki was holding. "I don't have wrinkles you butthead!" she shouted, yanking the white strands from his hand before pushing past him as she ran from the room, both of her hands now covering her face.

Izayoi watched the girl leave before looking back at her brother and hitting him over the head. "What is wrong with you? Why are you being so mean to her?"

The elder boy scoffed, rubbing the now sore spot on his scalp. "What? I was just kidding. Jeez. I don't get why she's so sensitive."

The girl rolled her eyes and walked past Noriaki, who simply blinked. "Wa-wait! Izayoi!" he called after her, trailing behind her like a lost puppy. Kanamé, who had seen the entire episode, left after Hikari, finding her outside the academy and in the playground, sitting under one of the far off trees. She was leaning against the bark, with her knees pulled to her chest and her head resting on her knees. Kanamé stopped in front of her, a small frown on his face.

"I'm sorry about my brother."

"I'm sorry that he is your brother." She muttered, looking up at the elder boy, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Do I really look like an old lady with wrinkles?" she asked.

"No you do not." He said earnestly. "My brother has trouble interacting well with others. It unfortunately runs in the family of Uchihas. So please, just ignore him. He's trying to make conversation and talk to people, but he doesn't know how. So the only way he knows to continue is to grasp onto anything that pops into that idiotic head of his."

This made Hikari frown. "So the first thing that popped into his fat head was that I look like a grandma?" she scoffed, putting her legs down and picking up her lunch box. "Whatever. I just want him to leave me alone." She said, opening up the small bento her mother had made her.

"Well I don't see that happening anytime soon." The dark haired boy almost smiled. "He tends to overstep boundaries. But my sister really likes you, so I hope you will not let this affect your relationship with her."

She shook her head. "Of course I won't. She's not mean like him, so it's okay." She looked up at the eldest Uchiha. "You're not mean either, so how come he is?"

"He's complicated, and it's really not my place to attempt to explain why my brother is the way he is." Kanamé smirked. "He's difficult, but once you have him on your side, there's no stronger force than his will."

Hikari simply shrugged and picked up her chopsticks. Then she looked around at the other children playing and eating their lunches. "You should probably go off and find your siblings to eat lunch with them." She said, picking up a small clump of rice and eating it. "We only get thirty minutes for lunch, so you shouldn't waste them talking to me."

"Waste?" he blinked, appearing confused, but then suddenly irritated. "You know just because I'm an Uchiha doesn't mean I think I am better than you. And it insults me greatly that you would think so little of me after just meeting me."

"I never said that I did." She replied, taking another bite of her food. "I was simply pointing out that if you don't start eating now, you'll wind up having to eat quickly, and that's bad for your stomach. So you can either find your brother and sister, or just eat with me."

Kanamé sighed and bowed his head in dismissal as he left in order to locate his siblings. Hikari watched him go, before returning to her lunch. And when she finished, she packed up and went back to the classroom, being the first to arrive. She went and sat down in her seat, her back straight and her hands folded neatly on top of the table in front of her as she waited for everyone else to return from lunch.

Izayoi sat beside her, giving her a friendly smile as she scooted closer. "Hey Hikari. How was lunch? What did you eat?"

"I just had some rice and fried meat." The white haired girl replied. "What about you?"

"My mother came by and gave us some rice balls and teriyaki shish kebabs." The Uchiha beamed, placing her hand over her stomach. "It was so delicious."

Hikari smiled. "It sounds nice." She said, glancing at the door as more people entered the room. The smile slowly fell from her face when she saw Noriaki come in, and she quickly glanced back to Izayoi. "Does your mom cook for you all the time?"

"Every day and every meal." She nodded. "She's really good at it. She learned from my grandma in Suna. She didn't always when we were really little, cause' my mom and dad would leave on missions, but ever since my dad became Hokage he doesn't let her leave unless it's absolutely necessary. He's the overprotective type." Izayoi explained, laughing.

"That sounds nice. When my mom goes out on missions she either makes a bunch of food for me to heat up, or she leaves me money to go out and buy stuff." The younger girl said.

Izayoi blinked, confusion marring her perfect brow. "What about your dad?"

"He lives in Kumogakure. I've never met him before, because my mom said I'm not allowed to." She explained.

"How come?"

Hikari shrugged. "I'm not s'posed to ask her about him. But I know she doesn't like him very much. She always gets a mean look on her face if he's ever mentioned. Like this." Hikari made the face then, though it was a bit over-exaggerated.

The dark haired girl burst into laughter, only to be scolded by Iruka as he entered the room, informing them that class was about to start. Hikari's face went back to normal, and she instantly became the picture of the attentive student. Class wore on, as Iruka began to teach them about the different parts of a kunai, and why they were shaped as they were. Soon the day was over, and everyone was dismissed to go home. Izayoi and Hikari walked out together, chatting amiably.

When they walked out to the front, Hikari could see the Uchiha's mother waiting for them. She was unmistakable in her beauty, not to mention her pink hair was a clear sign of her identity. "Well I'll see you tomorrow Izayoi." The white haired girl said. "I need to get home and start dinner for my mommy. She's coming back from her mission tonight, so I gotta make sure the house is all nice for her." she smiled happily.

"Okay." Izayoi nodded, waving to Hikari as she walked off to join her mother. "Hi Mommy!" the young girl smiled up at her elder.

"Hello sweetheart, how was your first day at the academy?" Natsumi returned the expression, allowing her hand down for her daughter to take.

The young girl placed her hand in her mother's and giggled. "So fun! I already made a new friend. Her name is Hikari, and she's really nice and fun."

The pink haired woman looked pleased and glanced around. "Where are your brothers?"

Just as the words left her mouth, they heard a loud yell from across the yard. "Hey Granny! Don't trip and break your hip as you wobble home!" Noriaki snickered, laughing obnoxiously as Kanamé rolled his eyes and continued towards his mother.

"You just leave me alone you big meanie!" Hikari responded, before running off and disappearing around a corner, towards the opposite end of the village.

The dark haired boy burst into laughter once more, following after his brother. The second he saw his mother's scolding gaze his expression sobered. "Oh Mommy." He said softly, sounding young. "I didn't know you were here."

"Uchiha Noriaki." Natsumi reprimanded. "What have I told you about being mean to other kids?" she huffed, reaching out and taking his hand as they began to walk back towards their massive home in the Uchiha District. "You didn't light anyone on fire did you? Or set kunai in someone's chair?"

"Not yet he hasn't." Kanamé sighed, getting a glare from the younger boy.

Noriaki growled, finally turning his attention back to his mother. "Mommy I behaved, I didn't _do_ anything mean to anyone. And I was just teasing that girl." He scoffed.

"Well I want you to be nice from your mouth too." Natsumi sighed, stopping in front of the district with the massive emblem painted on the doors. They came inside and headed through the street before they were upon a large, traditional Japanese style house. They went inside, and as they came in, there was a loud pounding of feet that came to meet them at the front.

"Mommy!" a small boy yelled at the top of his lungs, wrapping his arms around his mother's legs as he nuzzled her.

Natsumi laughed and kneeled down, picking up her youngest before kissing his cheek. "Hello my little Hayate. How are you? Where's Daddy? Wasn't he supposed to be watching you?"

"Daddy and Sano are in the kitchen playing Go." The little boy said, wrapping his arms around her neck and laying his head on her shoulder. "So I waited in the living room and played with my blocks while I waited for you to come back."

"Aw." Natsumi giggled, kissing him once more. "Well my little love, how about you go with Iza and wash up for dinner and ask her how her first day went? She made a new friend." She stated, setting her boy down. Izayoi smiled and nodded, taking her younger brother's hand as they walked off.

"You made a new friend Iza? I want a new friend! Can I meet her too?"

The pink haired woman smiled and looked back down at her boys. "Alright, dinner is in an hour."

"Yes ma'am." Kanamé smiled and headed down the hall. Noriaki turned to leave, only to have the back of his shirt grabbed.

"Ah, ah, ah." Natsumi huffed. "We're talking to dad about today."

"What?" he gasped, trying to break away as she dragged him towards the kitchen. "No! Mom! Please!"

They entered the kitchen then, to see Akito and Sanosuke sitting at the kitchen table, the board game between them. Sanosuke reached forward with his shorter arms and picked up a piece, hesitating only slightly before setting it down. "Excellent." Akito commented, observing the board. "But next time do not show uncertainty. It allows your opponent to know how much you doubt yourself, and can lead to your demise."

"Yes father." The young boy said. Both males looked to the doorway, seeing Natsumi and Noriaki.

Akito's gaze moved from Natsumi, to his second oldest. "What happened." He semi-sighed.

Sanosuke smirked. "Did you hit someone again Nori?" he snickered, looking exactly like his grandfather, save for his deep green eyes.

"That was _one_ time!" the elder boy protested.

"Twice." Natsumi exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Noriaki's jaw dropped. "Was not! I barely hit him that second time, and he deserved it!"

"That's what you always say." The younger brother pointed out, a superior look coming to his face.

"Sanosuke," Akito said, getting his younger son's attention. "Go and inform your grandfather when dinner will be finished.

"Okay." Sanosuke said, hopping out of the chair. As he past Noriaki he shoved him slightly, before running out of the kitchen.

Akito stood then, walking over and stopping before his son, looking down at him. "So what happened."

Natsumi sighed and placed her hand on her son's head, since the boy's gaze had dropped to his father's feet. "Apparently he was teasing some girl a lot today. Calling her granny, or something like that."

"Noriaki." The elder man said in a tone meaning that he wanted to hear whatever defense the young boy could come up with.

"Sir." He replied softly, pursing his lips together in a tight line.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" Akito asked, raising a brow.

He shook his head. "No sir."

Natsumi frowned, not liking her son's demeanor. She knelt beside him and tried to look into his jade depths, though he avoided hers. "Baby, it's okay. We just want to know why. You're just a little boy, we all make mistakes."

"Well…" he began, turning a slight red. "She just came up and was talking to Izayoi, and I wanted to talk to her cause' she was pretty, but then I said something stupid instead and I couldn't take it back cause' Uchihas are never sorry, and so I just went with it…"

This made the pink haired woman blink, a bit surprised, though she knew where the teaching had come from. Her pale jade gaze shot up at her husband in a glare. Akito just shrugged. "What? That's my father talking, not me." He defended. Then he squat before Noriaki, actually not looking angry. "Son, despite Uchihas never being sorry, you do not need to continue to tease this girl. Rectify this tomorrow, and do not do it again. Alright?" he asked, his voice softening to show that he wasn't angry.

"Yes sir." Noriaki sighed.

"What do you mean 'Uchihas are never sorry'?" Natsumi huffed, her glare still on her husband. "Are you really _never_ sorry? So I guess that means you don't really mean it when you apologize to me. Like when you forgot it was our anniversary last month."

Akito blinked, before looking at his wife. "Did I say never sorry? I meant rarely. We're _rarely_ sorry. And of course I'm sorry about that. We talked about it and everything. I even took a whole week off from work to make it up to you." he said, cupping her cheek and stroking it with his thumb. "You're one of the few people that I have ever been sorry to, and one of three people I have ever apologized too."

She just rolled her eyes and looked down at her son. "Why don't you just apologize? That'll make her feel better."

"Try complimenting her." Akito suggested, letting his hand fall to his side as he stood. He moved over to the table and began to move the game so that it could be set for dinner. "Girls like to be complimented."

"Just be genuine." Natsumi smiled at her boy and kissed his cheek, giving him a small push for the door. "Go wash up for dinner alright sweetie?"

Noriaki nodded and left, mumbling a soft, "Yes ma'am."

The pink haired woman stood and watched him leave, setting her hands on her hips before looking back at her husband. "That's it. I don't want your dad saying _anything_ to my babies." She huffed. "I know he means well, but he's corrupting my children with this insane Uchiha high."

Akito looked over at her and shrugged slightly. "I turned out pretty okay." He defended. At the narrowed look she gave him he sighed. "Fine. I will speak to him about it. But you know how fond he is of the kids. I doubt we can get him to stop teaching them."

Natsumi crossed her arms and stuck out her hip, causing her black halter top to ride up and show off her flat stomach. "And who do you want to please more Akito? Me or your dad?" she asked, arching a warning brow.

He smirked, walking over to her and bringing her closer to him. "Baby, you know I live to please you." he murmured, nuzzling her neck as he rubbed her hips. He kissed her cheek then, pulling back enough to see her face. "I promise to talk to him, okay? Tonight after dinner, when the kids are getting ready for bed."

Unable to resist her husband's charms, Natsumi lifted her arms and draped them around Akito's neck. "Mmm. What are you going to say to him?" she asked, sounding excited as she moved her hips against his own.

"I'm going to say, 'Father. You need to back off my kids and let me _love_ them and be all soft and pansy-like. I don't give a damn about what you think. So go home and read your newspaper.'" He said, grinding against her.

"Oh baby!" Natsumi giggled, kissing him deeply. "You turn me on so much with your lies."

"Wanna have a quickie? We have time." Akito said, gripping her butt in his hands.

She smirked, leaning into him. "Only if you make it hard." She groaned.

Akito chuckled, lifting her so that her legs were wrapped around his waist. "I'm going to pound you so roughly you'll be dizzy when I'm done." He promised, kissing her as he began to make his way to their bedroom.

"Don't hurt me love." Natsumi giggled, slamming the door behind them with her foot. All five Uchiha children stuck their heads out their doors, to the end of the hall where their parents had gone.

Kanamé sighed. "Dinner will be in two hours now."

"Are mommy and daddy sexy fighting again?" Hayate asked, looking up at Noriaki.

"Yup." The triplet nodded, taking his brother's hand and pulling him towards the playroom. "Come on. We can make a brick city and then pretend we're monsters and knock it down."

"Yay!" the youngest Uchiha cheered happily, running forward and dragging his brother behind him.


	2. Desolation

**Beyond the Looking Glass**

_Chapter Two_

-Desolation-

"Come on Noriaki, won't you please show us?" a couple of boys begged the Uchiha as he sat on his desk, basking in the attention.

"I dunno. It's a pretty complex move. I don't think any of you could really comprehend just how hot I can get my fire." He said with a devious smirk.

A brunette groaned out, shaking his fists. "Aw! Why not Nori? I heard from my mom, who heard from the Hokage himself, that your fire ball jutsu was bigger than even…" he trailed off then, looking around nervously. "Uchiha Itachi's at your age."

The dark haired boy grinned, "Well…he is my uncle, and I am a prodigy when it comes to flames."

The bell rang then and the boys began to move to their seats as Noriaki took his by his brother, who was reading a book. The younger of the two looked around, a small frown coming to his face when he didn't spot the head of white that was usually beside his sister's. This was now the fifth day that Hikari had been absent from school.

The Uchiha leaned back, getting one of his friend's attention. "Hey Kuro. Hikari's not here again." He said, phrasing it like a question. The boy looked around and nodded, meeting Noriaki's gaze once more.

"Yeah. I wonder what's up. She's been gone a lot."

"Probably because Noriaki is such a jerk to her." A blonde girl huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Another brunette girl nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Last week I heard her crying in the bathroom. But when I asked her what was wrong she just ran off."

"What!" the dark haired boy huffed, standing up from his seat. "Well she wasn't crying because of me!" he declared.

"How do you know? You make fun of her all the time!"

Noriaki growled out, glaring down at his desk with an infuriated red gaze. Why was she such a pansy? It wasn't like he was _that_ mean to her anymore. It was just funny to see her feathers ruffled. Without any explanation, the sand around him picked up, and he was gone in a small swirl.

Kanamé looked to the spot where his brother had been and sighed, turning the page in his book. "He's gonna be late." He said, shaking his head.

* * *

><p>Noriaki ran up the steps of the Kage tower, not bothering to knock as he burst into his father's office. "Dad! I need your help! I don't know what to do!"<p>

Akito looked up from the scroll he had been reading in slight surprise. "What is it Noriaki?" he asked, standing and setting down the scroll. He walked around his desk then, concern marring his brow. "Is something wrong? Did something happen at school?"

"Dad, I never stopped teasing Hikari! I'm sorry, but she was so cute when she got all angry, and I don't know what else to say to her without sounding like a loser! And now she hasn't been at school for days and everyone says she won't come because I hurt her feelings and make fun of her too much." He gasped out, having to take deep breaths from his rant.

The elder sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he lowered his hand and looked down to his son. "Noriaki…what kinds of things did you tease her for? Were you still calling her a…was it a granny?" he asked.

He stayed silent for a moment before looking away. "…No…"

"Son." Akito knelt down in front of the boy and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me. You're not going to get in trouble. Obviously you feel remorseful about teasing Hikari, otherwise you wouldn't be asking for advice."

"Well…" Noriaki sighed. "There was making fun of her nose and her hair, and she couldn't do a perfect shadow clone…and then I called her flat and how she'd never get married cause' she was like a boy where she needed to be a girl…and some other stuff…"

The Hokage's eyes widened. "Noriaki…"

"Oh…" he spoke up, interrupting his father. "And I accidently caught her on fire."

Akito sighed. "And…how, exactly, did you catch her on fire?"

"I was trying to be nice and not make fun of her, and we were talking about jutsu, and I said that I could control fire better than any Uchiha before me! And she was all interested, so I was trying to show her, but she kept leaning closer and touched my shoulder with hers and I lost it cause' I was so nervous!" he almost yelled out, sucking in a deep breath as he tried not to cry from his mere frustration. "But then she got mad at me and said I did it on purpose, but I didn't!"

"So…you really like this girl, huh?" the ebony haired man asked, rubbing his chin.

This made the younger male pause, a small frown coming to his face. "But attachments are for the weak…grandfather says we don't need to like anyone outside the family."

"Well I liked your mother when I was younger, and she was outside the family. In fact, your grandfather hated your grandpa, and tried to force me to stop seeing her. But I became attached anyways, and that made me an even stronger ninja, and a better man." Akito told him. "So, even though she is outside the family, you can still care for her. You don't want to wind up a reclusive asshole like your grandfather anyways." he smirked, ruffling Noriaki's hair.

"But I thought being an Uchiha and an asshole came hand in hand." The boy smirked, looking up at his father. "And makes us undeniably irresistible."

The elder chuckled. "That may be true son, but don't be such a big asshole that people don't like you. You know how your mother is with you all being likeable and having friends. Some crazy nonsense about not winding up like an emo." He rolled his eyes playfully. "Though that only makes us even more desirable." He snickered, standing once more. "My advice is this. Get her a flower. Not a bunch, because you don't want her to think that you like her so early in the relationship. Just one. Go to her house and tell her that you noticed her absence from school this past week, and wanted to make sure that she was doing okay. This way you seem concerned and caring, but you are not assuming that this is because of you. And if it is, by a small chance, now you look even better in her eyes." He advised. "Make sense?"

"Of course!" Noriaki smiled. "It's the perfect manipulation tactic!" he nodded and ran out from the room. "Thanks Dad!" he yelled.

Akito smile slightly, though it was followed by a sigh. "I really do need to stop letting them go over to my father's house." He said to himself, blinking when Noriaki ran back in.

"I need money." He said simply, holding his hand up in waiting.

The ebony haired Hokage raised a brow. "I know your mother and I taught you better manners than that." He said as he pulled out his wallet.

Noriaki let out an exasperated sigh. "Can I _please_ have some money?"

"Yes, you may." Akito took out a few bills and handed them to his son. "And don't tell your mom that I let you skip school, or that I said asshole in front of you and didn't reprimand you when you said it. This way it just saves us some trouble. And if she asks why you weren't there, tell her you were helping me with something secret, and I'll handle the rest. Understood?"

The younger boy smirked. "You mean you'll shut her up with your di-"

"Eh!" Akito yelled, holding up his hand to silence his son. "Just go and buy your flower. And when you finish, you might as well come back here. I'll take off early and teach you a new jutsu that your brother doesn't know. How does that sound?"

"Which brother?" He arched a curious brow.

"Kanamé."

"Really?" Noriaki gasped, his eyes widening in absolute awe. "What is it?"

The elder smirked, pleased that he had captured his son's attention. "It's a fire jutsu, called Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson. Since you pick up on fire techniques faster than your older brother, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to learn."

Noriaki smiled his mother's beautiful smile, looking happier than ever. "Okay! Thanks Dad!" he said, hugging his father tightly. "I'm going to go get Hikari a flower and see if she's okay. Then we can spend the rest of the afternoon together! Just me and you!"

"Exactly." Akito smiled, returning his son's embrace. "Now run along, while the flowers are still fresh." He said, ruffling the boy's hair once more before giving him a small push towards the door.

With another nod, the younger Uchiha ran out the door and down the steps. It didn't take him long to reach the Yamanaka flower shop, which was praised by most of the village for its selection. He walked in and saw a dark haired woman at the front, bouncing around her baby girl. "Hi Miss Tomoyo." He said, coming up to the counter.

"Oh Noriaki." The woman smiled, shifting the girl to her hip and walking around the corner. "How are you?"

"Nowee!" the little girl giggled, her dark brown hair up in two pigtails.

Noriaki smiled and touched her foot, causing her laughter to increase. "Hi Chitose. You look so pretty today."

Tomoyo's smile widened. "Chitose has decided to try out different hair styles." She said, nuzzling her daughter's cheek. She returned her blue gaze back to the young boy. "So what can I help you with today? Your parents know you're not in school, right?" she asked, raising a curious brow.

"My Dad knows. He said not to tell my mom about it cause' she's just going to bitch and…" he blinked at the scolding look he received. "I mean….she's just going to complain about how skipping is bad. But anyways, I'm here to pick a flower for a…um…" he glanced around as if it were a secret and then whispered. "A girl."

"Really?" the woman asked, becoming intrigued. "What kind of girl? A friend girl, or a girl friend? Is she cute? Does Natsumi know?"

"Look!" Noriaki huffed, a small blush appearing on his face. "I was just looking for a flower cause' she hasn't been at school for the past couple of days and I wanted to…make sure she was okay and that…whatever, will you jut help me pick a flower!"

She waved him off. "Of course, of course." She said, shifting her daughter to her other hip. "So, what kinds of things does she like?"

"…I dunno. She's a girl."

"Well do you know what her favorite color is?"

"…No…" he frowned. "But her eyes are purple, like an amethyst stone."

Tomoyo nodded. "Okay. How about a tulip?" she asked, walking over and picking up a purple one. "Simple, but pretty." She held it out to the young Uchiha.

"Okay." He nodded and took the flower from her. "That'll be it. Just the one. My dad says I can't look like I care too much."

"Akito would say that." She sighed, shaking her head as she rang up the price. "There's nothing wrong with caring you know." She told him as he paid her and she gave him his change.

"But Uchihas always gotta make mistakes before we do things right." he smiled, looking at the flower before running off. "Thank you!" Noriaki called over his shoulder as he rushed out the door. Flower in hand, the young Uchiha ran through the village to Hikari's house, which was located in a small section of houses that stood alone. When he reached the one he knew to be Hikari's, he walked up to the door and knocked loudly. It took a few seconds, but eventually the door opened, revealing a boy about Noriaki's age. He had grey eyes and white, spiky hair, the bottom half in the back being black. He glanced to the flower and then back at the ebony haired boy.

"Are you here to see Hikari?" the boy asked.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Um…yeah…who are you?"

"Ryū Kai. I'm her cousin." He smiled. "Are you one of her friends?"

Noriaki paused for a second, not knowing how to answer. "I guess so…I just…brought her this." He said softly, holding out the flower.

Kai's smile widened. "Well come on in!" he said, stepping aside so that the other boy could enter. "She's in her room. I'll show you the way."

"…Ok…" Noriaki nodded and walked in, following the boy through the house. He looked around in interest, noticing there were a couple other people in the abode he had never seen before. Suddenly a man stopped before them, causing them to halt. He was really tall, and had familiar purple eyes and pale, bleach blonde hair, which almost appeared white.

"Kai, is this who was at the door?" he asked.

The young boy nodded. "Yes sir, this is one of Hikari's friends from school."

His violet gaze moved to the young Uchiha. "State your name and purpose." He instructed, crossing his arms.

"Um…uh…my name is Uchiha Noriaki and I just…" he trailed off, looking down to the flower in his hand. He lifted it once more. "Hikari hasn't been at school so I brought her this." He said, before glancing around. "What's going on? Why are all you people here?"

"Hikari is coming with Kai and me to live in Kumo." The man said, looking back at Kai. "He can go see her, but make sure that it isn't too long. She's still upset."

Kai nodded. "Yes sir." He said, motioning with his head. "Come on."

Noriaki glared at the boy, not liking the fact this kid thought he could order him around. They walked down the hall until Kai stopped at a door. Without waiting for permission Noriaki walked past him and knocked on the door, leaning closer to hear for any affirmation. When there wasn't a response, Kai stepped closer to the door. "Hikari, it's Kai. You have a visitor. Is it okay if he comes in?" he called through the wood. There was a soft yes, so Kai opened the door and the two boys entered.

The room was mostly empty, filled with packed boxes stacked on top of one another. Against the far wall was a bed, where Hikari was laying on her side and staring at the wall. "Um…hi Hikari." Noriaki said a bit hesitantly. "Are you ok? You haven't been at school lately."

"My mommy left me." She said softly. "So my dad is taking me away to live with him."

Something tore through the Uchiha that left his entire body cold, right to his soul. "You're leaving? But…why can't he stay here? Why did your mom leave?" he asked softly, unable to find something stable to grasp onto. Why did it feel like the room was spinning?

"Because…my mommy doesn't love me anymore." She replied, her voice breaking. Kai rushed over to the bed and climbed on, sitting next to her and rubbing her back.

"It's okay Hikari, Kumo's not so bad once you get used to it." he said soothingly. "And hey, Noriaki brought you something."

She turned her head and looked up at her cousin, before sitting up and looking over at the ebony haired boy, curiosity faintly shining in her dull violet eyes. "What is it?" she asked softly.

Noriaki looked down at the flower and walked up, offering her the tulip. "My…dad said I should get this for you." he said, grimacing when the words left his mouth. "I mean…he said it would be a good idea cause' you're a girl and girls like flowers and I bought it and brought it here."

Hikari blinked, a slight smile coming to her face. She crawled over to the edge of the bed and slid off, standing before him. She carefully took the flower from him and smelled it, before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you. It's really pretty."

His eyes widened slightly, as he was unprepared for the contact, but finally he returned her embrace and held her tightly. At this, the white haired buried her face in his chest. "Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" she asked, though it was muffled by his shirt.

"Well….I…uh…" he looked down a bit. "I thought you weren't coming to school…because of me."

She shook her head, pulling out of his hold. "I tried to come to school after my mommy left, but Cara found me crying…so I figured it would be best if I stayed away, because I didn't want people to know. And then when my dad came he told me he didn't want me to go to school." She looked down at the flower in her hand. "But thanks for the flower. I really like it." her bright gaze returned to his face. "Um…I'm leaving tomorrow…so…will you come and say goodbye?"

"You want me to come see you off?" he blinked, in shock. "Like…there and all…well, um yes I mean. Of course." He smiled. "Do you want me to bring Izayoi and Kanamé too?"

"Please." She nodded, returning his smile somewhat hesitantly. "I want to see everyone before I have to go."

"Alright." he said, beginning to fidget a bit since the air between them had become slightly awkward. "So…then I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Hikari smiled brightly. "I'll walk you to the door. Come on Kai!" she said to her cousin, grabbing Noriaki's hand and leading him back to the front.

The Uchiha looked down to their joined hands, a small pink dusting across his cheeks. She led him out the front door, stopping on the porch. "We leave tomorrow morning at nine. So you guys can just meet us at the gates. All my stuff is beings sent off today." She told the ebony haired boy, still keeping a hold of his hand.

"Ok." He said, slightly tightening his grip on hers. "Well, my dad is taking a half day today. He's going to teach me a new jutsu…plus I don't think your dad likes me very much, and I'm sure you have a lot to do…" he began to rumble on.

She giggled. "He's just over protective. I finally got to meet him a few days ago, so…" she looked around, before returning her gaze to his face. "Yeah, you shouldn't keep your dad waiting." She got up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Bye!" she said, rushing back inside before he could see her blush.

Noriaki stood there, his eyes wide as saucers. He lifted his hand to his cheek where her lips had touched and disappeared in a quick swirl of sand before his blush could darken any. After all, it wasn't like an Uchiha to show embarrassment.

* * *

><p>Kai sighed, watching as all of the movers finished packing the boxes. He was so bored. Hikari was finally in a good mood, thanks to that boy, and his uncle didn't really need him to do anything, so he was just stuck standing there watching everyone do stuff. He glanced out a nearby window, seeing the streets of Konoha. He really wanted to go and explore, but he didn't know if he was allowed.<p>

He glanced around, making sure that nobody was watching him. Seeing that the coast was clear, he snuck out the front door in all the commotion of the movers, before running off down the street. This was great. Now he could look around a bit before having to go back home.

He wandered the streets for a while, taking in all of the scenery, before he found himself coming up on a large, closed off district. He looked up to the sign above the gates, seeing a red and white fan. It seemed familiar enough, probably something he had learned in the academy but hadn't really paid much attention too. Shrugging, he entered the place, wandering around as he took in the sights of the abandoned buildings. They looked like they hadn't been lived in in decades, despite the fact that they were whitewashed and clean.

Eventually he came upon a house that was filled with the sound of laughter and shouts. Deciding not to get too close to it, he went around the house to explore the next street, where another house was located that didn't seem as empty as the others. This one clearly had someone living in it as well, but it was a lot quieter. He snuck into the back, where he could hear a fountain. There were two people sitting on the porch on cushions, a shogi board between them. Kai quickly ducked behind some large bushes, peering through them at the ones playing the game.

One was an older man with fading ebony hair that spiked up in the back, his eyes a dark onyx. The other was a young girl, her long black locks falling down her back, and her bright jade eyes watching the board intently as the man made a move in a bored manner.

"Grandfather. How come Noriaki always gets away with doing things that are against the rules?" Izayoi asked, picking up one of her pieces and moving it on the board.

"Because he's good at manipulating the situation to his liking." Sasuke replied, taking his turn. "An admirable trait, though annoying at times."

"But whenever I do anything I get reprimanded. Is it cause' I'm a girl?" she huffed, leaning over the board and searching for the right strategy. She made her move as well and sat back. "And Hikari hasn't been at school for a long time and no one knows why. Everyone thinks its cause' of Nori."

Sasuke sighed, rubbing his chin. "I'm sure you'll know in time why she hasn't been present." He told her. "Though if it's because of Noriaki, then Akito needs to have a serious discussion with him." he said, moving a piece.

"Whatever." She huffed, blowing up some of her bangs from her eyes. "Mommy and daddy always get mad at him but let it slide. It's gonna end up bad one day." Izayoi nodded and looked back down, studying the board. A smile broke across her face as she lifted a piece and set it down with a definite click. The young girl beamed and looked back up at her grandfather with glee.

The elder raised a brow and looked back down at the board, his eyes widening. "I don't believe it." he said, examining the board. "You beat me." He smiled, looking back up at his granddaughter. "Well done Izayoi, I'm impressed."

Her smile only seemed to grow. "Thank you Grandfather! I really wanted to beat you this time, so I was making sure to plan extra ahead. Though you made some good moves that made me have to improvise."

"Well next time I will have to pay more attention to your moves." He said, still smiling. Then it slowly fell from his face and his posture straightened. He stood, and before anyone could blink, he disappeared, stopping behind the bushes in his backyard where Kai was hiding. But before he could do anything else to the startled intruder, a sand wall formed between them.

"Grandfather." Izayoi called, getting up from the porch and hurrying over to the back hedge. "Why are you trying to hurt a little boy?"

"Because he's trespassing." Sasuke said. "And I wasn't going to hurt him sweetie, I was simply going to ask him why he is in a place he shouldn't be. So you can lower your sand, I promise not to harm him."

Instead of doing as she was asked, Izayoi reached into the bush and grabbed Kai's hand, pulling him out and into the yard before her sand dropped. She giggled, "Sorry Grandfather, but I know you too well." She snickered, meeting Sasuke's dark gaze as he came out as well.

Kai looked from the older man to the girl holding his hand, his eyes wide. "Wow." He said, now seeing her face close up. "You have really pretty hair." He blurted, blushing slightly at his admission.

Izayoi blinked, looking back to Kai and giving him a big smile. "Thank you. My daddy says I'm the prettiest little girl alive."

"Yeah." He sighed.

Sasuke's gaze narrowed. "Why are you here?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

His eyes widened. "Oh, um…my name is Ryū Kai. I came with my uncle from Kumo to retrieve my cousin…and I was just looking around. There weren't any guards at the gate or anything…so I just came right in."

"That's okay!" Izayoi beamed. "I'm Uchiha Izayoi and this is my grandfather, Uchiha Sasuke." She told him. "And this is the Uchiha Prefecture. It's where the clan lives."

"I kinda guessed…" he said, a bit nervously. "I'm sorry for intruding. I didn't mean to-"

"Do you make a habit to just go into other people's backyards and spy on them?" Sasuke interrupted, his gaze narrowing. "Because those are the signs of a stalker."

"Uh…" the grey eyed boy said, trying to think of how to respond. Though it was really hard, since this man was kinda scary.

"Grandfather." Izayoi huffed. "Stop being so mean. He's fine." She said, giving him a scolding look before standing between the two men. "Don't worry about him, he's just being a crazy coo. Do you want some tea? We have some if you wanna come in."

Kai looked between the two Uchihas in uncertainty, before nodding. "That would be nice." He said.

Sasuke held in a sigh. "Izayoi, please show our…guest, to the living room. I will brew the tea." His dark gaze moved to Kai. "Watch yourself boy, or I'll show you the true meaning of pain." He threatened, before walking into the house.

Once he was gone, the young boy let out the breath he had been holding. "Man I thought I was a goner for a minute there. Thanks." He smiled at the girl next to him.

She gave him a bright smile. "Don't worry. My grandpa is a lot scarier." She pulled him then, heading towards the house and sitting him down in the living room on a soft cushion around a low table. She sat beside him and then turned to face him. "So you're from Kumo? What's it like? Is it cloudy? Does it rain a lot? Does everyone there have white hair?"

He laughed at all of her questions. "It's very cloudy, and rains most of the year. Not everybody has white hair, but most of the people there do. I didn't always live there, but my parents died when I was really little, so I don't remember living anywhere else."

"Oh." She nodded, looking very interested. "I see. I see. I always wanted to go to another village, but my daddy says it's too dangerous for me to be out. But I will when I get older, cause' I'll go on missions. Unless my dad doesn't let me, he's the Hokage…so." She laughed, though the thought obviously depressed her.

"Well if he is a good Hokage he'll let you." Kai said, meaning no disrespect. "Since it's not good to show favoritism. I mean, it's not like he's the only parent whose kids are going out on dangerous missions." He told her. "But I bet he will. I mean, you're an Uchiha, so that automatically means that you'll be a good ninja, and an asset to the village."

"Thanks." She said, brightening up. Sasuke came out then, holding a trey that he set on the table before sitting down across from the two. Izayoi poured the tea, just as she had been taught, and then they began to drink.

Kai sipped slowly at his hot beverage, watching the older man carefully, since he still didn't think he was safe yet. "Thank you for allowing me into your home." He said, wanting to be polite.

Sasuke smirked. "Thank Izayoi. If she had not insisted on letting you stay, I would have escorted you out."

"Grandfather always does what I ask." Izayoi told Kai. "Cause he loves me so much." She said, smiling at her grandfather.

He returned her smile only slightly. "Only because you're so pretty." He said.

"Well thanks anyways." Kai smiled. "You have a really nice house."

"Isn't it?" Izayoi giggled. "Mine's bigger, but that's cause' I have four brothers. Plus my mom and dad."

"I only have my uncle, and now my cousin Hikari." The boy said, taking another sip of his tea. He didn't like tea too much, but he didn't want to appear rude by not having any, so he decided to just fake it.

The name made the girl perk up, as she scooted closer to Kai. "You and Hikari are cousins?" she gasped, leaning towards him, making him lean back in turn. "I didn't know she had any cousins!"

"Well, she didn't either until recently." He shrugged.

Izayoi's brow was marred with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Kai appeared nervous then, since now he had Sasuke's undivided attention as well. "I'm not really supposed to talk about it…and I don't know what Hikari's told you about our family."

"Why would it be a secret?" she asked. "Is something wrong? Did something bad happen?"

"Her mom left her." he said, since that was what he'd heard Hikari tell that Noriaki boy. "So my uncle and I came up to get her and take her with us to Kumo. We're leaving in the morning."

The dark haired girl's eyes widened. "Hikari is leaving?"

He nodded. "Mhm. We've been packing up her house and taking care of all the official stuff for like, the past four days or so."

"So _that's_ why she's been gone from school!"

Kai nodded once more. "My uncle didn't want her to be out and about, since she's been really upset lately. Until Noriaki visited her. He actually got her to smile." He said, starting to smile himself at the memory.

"_That's_ where he went?" she huffed, but then looked off. "Wait…he got her to smile?"

"Yeah, he brought her a flower." He said.

Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. "I need to have a talk with him about expressing feelings to others." He muttered, finishing his tea and pouring another cup.

"Oh be quiet Grandfather." Izayoi snickered, waving him off. "Well I'll have to come see you guys off tomorrow." She told Kai.

"Yeah, Noriaki said he would tell you guys about it, so you'll hear about all the details from him later." Kai smiled. Then he glanced over at a nearby clock and went wide eyed. "Oh, I have to go. I'm supposed to help with dinner." He declared, setting down his cup and standing. "Thank you for the tea." He bowed to Izayoi, before bowing to Sasuke. "It was nice to meet the both of you."

The girl got up and took his hand. "I'll walk you out Kai." She said happily, waving to her grandfather as they walked out. "Be right back." She said, leading him through the halls. Finally, they were out the front door and back in the streets of the Uchiha District.

Kai paused on the step, looking out at the other buildings before returning his stormy gaze to Izayoi. "Well I'll see you tomorrow morning I guess." He said. "Thanks again for saving me from your grandfather."

"No problem. It was my pleasure." She smiled. "And yes I will see you tomorrow."

"Bye!" he waved, smiling at her before running off, since he didn't want to be late.

She waved as well, "Bye Kai!" As he disappeared, Izayoi returned into the house and went back to see her grandfather. "Alright Grandfather, I'm going to go home. You want to come with me and just wait while dinner is made?"

"Yeah, why not." The elder sighed, getting up from his seat and walking over to his granddaughter. The two left the house and headed back to the noise that came from down the street. After all, it was going to be a long night of chaos from the pink haired mother who was to find out her son skipped school.


	3. Not So Fond Farewell

**Beyond the Looking Glass**

_Chapter Three_

-Not So Fond Farewell-

"I can't believe Hikari's leaving." Izayoi sighed as she and her two brothers walked down the streets of Konoha towards the gates of the village.

Kanamé nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wonder how her mother died. It's odd that we didn't hear about it from dad. I mean, if it were a mission, he would have known."

"Well don't ask her about it." Noriaki huffed, walking ahead of the two. "I don't want you two making her sad. I would like to see her smile before she leaves for Kumo."

"True." The dark haired girl said, pushing some of her hair behind her ear. "I mean, she could be gone for years…or maybe even forever. I hope she comes back though. I'll miss her. Of course if we don't see her again, we'll always be connected in our hearts." She smiled.

Noriaki blinked, a frown coming to his face. "Forever?" he asked, mostly to himself.

Kanamé glanced over at his brother curiously. "Well yeah. She's moving to another country Noriaki. She might never come back. There are ninja who never go to certain places, like how mom has never and will never go to Kiri. That's just how life works, people move on."

"Move on?" he voiced once more, his pace slowing as the gates came into view. Hikari was leaving forever? The young Uchiha felt a painful tug on his heart and came to a full halt. She couldn't be gone forever, that wasn't fair. He had finally talked to her the way he wanted to from the beginning. Izayoi and Kanamé passed him, both telling him to hurry up so they could say goodbye, though they didn't wait.

But he didn't move. He looked up and saw her outline and her white hair in the distance. She was turned around and talking to the man she looked so much like. Noriaki lifted his hand and clenched the area over his heart. Why was she leaving now? Just when everything was starting to turn better for them in their friendship, and possibly something more. That's when he felt something wet on his face.

He moved his hand from his heart to his cheek and felt the tear that had escaped from his eyes unknowingly. This caused him to go wide eyed and flinch back. He lowered his hand and stared at the offending liquid. The dark haired boy looked up and fixated his gaze on her once more, feeling the swell hit hard. He couldn't see her. Not like this, not so _weak_. It was unworthy of an Uchiha to show such emotion and feebleness. Before he could think of anything more, his sand picked up and he disappeared, before anyone could see him.

Izayoi ran up to Hikari, hugging her from behind. "Hikari!"

Hikari gasped and pulled away from the girl, turning around with a bright smile on her face. "Izayoi!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend. "You came!"

"Of course I came! We all did!" she laughed, tightening her grip.

"I'm so glad." The pale haired girl squeezed back, and eventually the two parted. She looked at Kanamé and smiled, before it fell off her face. "Where's Noriaki?" she asked, looking around for the other triplet. "He promised he would come see me."

Izayoi blinked and looked back, searching around. "What are you talking about? He was right behind us."

Kanamé glanced back as well, searching with red eyes for any sign of his brother. "He was the one who woke us all up early so we wouldn't be late." He said softly, returning his gaze to Hikari, his red swirling back into his pale jade. "He really was just there."

"But he didn't stay…" Hikari said softly, her face falling.

Kai stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Hikari. Maybe something came up, or he had to go use the bathroom, or…um…" his brow furrowed as he tried to come up with another excuse for the Uchiha so that his cousin wouldn't be upset anymore.

Kanamé stepped forward, looking down at Hikari with caring eyes. "Please don't be sad Hikari. Noriaki really wanted to come, I don't know why he just disappeared, but there must be a reason. Maybe if you can just wait a bit. Who knows, he might have forgotten something he was going to give you." he smiled, lifting his hand and cupping her cheek.

"Yeah! That has to be it!" Izayoi nodded, smiling as well.

Hikari's father cleared his throat then, getting everyone's attention. "We cannot wait any longer. If we don't leave now we won't reach the border by nightfall."

"Yes Papa." She sighed. "Thanks for coming to say goodbye to me." She said, giving Kanamé a small hug before embracing Izayoi once more. She pulled away and gave the two a small smile. "I hope to see you again someday."

"Of course." They both nodded.

"If not you coming here, we will definitely go see you there." Izayoi said happily. She looked over to the boy beside Hikari then. "Goodbye Kai. Thanks for staying for tea the other day, even though you didn't like it." she giggled.

Kanamé blinked, a look of surprise coming to his face. "Wait…what?"

"You guys have met before?" Hikari asked.

Kai's eyes widened. "How did you know I didn't like it? I drank everything in my cup, and I tried my best not to scrunch my nose."

"Every time you swallowed it was slightly strained and you drank it so loudly. Plus people who enjoy tea sip gingerly." She pointed out, laughing once more. "But don't worry. I can make you something different if you ever want to come again." Izayoi smiled.

He returned her smile. "That would be nice." He said. "And maybe then your grandfather won't try and kill me."

"Well you can come to my house next time if you want. There's a lot of people there, but my dad isn't as scary." Izayoi nodded, walking up to Kai, about to hug him before Kanamé was between them and keeping them at arm's length.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Wait a second, why are you inviting this stranger to our home to be with him?"

The dark haired girl huffed. "He's not a stranger. Grandfather and I had tea with him yesterday. We're friends."

"Yeah." Kai said, a somewhat longing look on his face, since he had really wanted to hug the ebony haired girl.

"Come. It is time for us to go." Hikari's dad said, turning and beginning to walk off.

Hikari and Kai looked at the older man, before back at the Uchihas. "Bye guys." She said, turning and running to catch up with her father.

Kai sighed. "Well…I'll see you around Izayoi." He smiled, waving to her before he headed after his family members.

She waved after them, smiling brightly. "Come back soon! Don't stay there forever!" she called, as Kanamé waved as well.

And as the three walked towards Kumo, they couldn't help thinking about how their lives had changed in the course of a week, as well as excitement for when they would get to see the Uchihas again. Some feeling it more than others.


	4. Astonishment

**Beyond the Looking Glass**

_Chapter Four_

-Astonishment-

_**Eleven years later…**_

Hikari slowed her pace as the gates to Konoha came into view. It had been many years since she'd been in the Land of Fire, and was only now returning because her father had specifically requested that she do so. Her hair was much longer than when she'd been younger, going all the way down to the ends of her ample breasts, her bangs parted off to the side. She was wearing a pair of thigh high ninja boots, and some short, black shorts that ended a ways past her rear, and a kunai holster tied around her waist. Her entire stomach was exposed, her chest only covered by a turquoise top that was similar to a halter, thick straps holding it up and a scarf-like thing looping around her neck, and tying in the center of her cleavage with a white string. The rest of her exposed cleavage was covered in a fish net, though it didn't do much to cover what was exposed. Her arms were covered in gloves that went up past her elbows, trimmed in a string that was the same color as her top. "We're finally here." She said. "After so long."

"Yup." The man next to her sighed, sticking his gloved hands in the pockets of his black pants. He had on standard ninja shoes and a black shirt that dipped in a V neck, with its sleeves pushed up past his elbows. On either side of his collar bone were two slashes, made into the fabric on purpose, exposing his pale skin. His spiky black and white hair blew in the breeze, causing his bangs to get in his eyes slightly.

"Why is it that you guys haven't been back in so long?" A woman asked. She had long brown hair with a few streaks of red throughout it. It went just past her shoulders, and her bangs were parted and brushed off to the right side of her face, revealing bright aquamarine eyes. Her outfit consisted of nearly knee high black ninja boots, which covered her toes, and laced up the front. She had on some dark grey leggings that stopped just above her knees, a short purple skirt over it. Her top consisted of a black tank top, with a halter top over it. It was the same shade of grey as her leggings, with a black line beneath her breasts, clinging very well to her entire torso. It dipped low, but nothing was revealed, as it was covered by her tank top. She had on black, fingerless gloves, and wrapped around her upper left arm was some white cloth. She wasn't wearing a forehead protector, instead having a black choker on, with the symbol for Mist sewn in silver thread in the center of it.

Hikari glanced over at the woman they had met as they were coming up on the Leaf Village. "We just never made it this far into Fire." She said simply. Her father walked ahead of them then.

"I'm going to go meet with the Hokage and get us all checked in to the hotel. You and Kai can just do whatever you want." he sighed, leaving them behind.

They trio followed after him at a slower pace. "Hey, do you guys mind if I hang out with you for a while? The longer I stay away from my grandparent's house the less time I have to spend with them." The brunette smiled slightly, causing the two Kumo nin to laugh.

"Of course Vitani. We're just going to walk around a bit." Kai said, earning a nod from his cousin.

"I really just want to look around a bit and see what's changed." The pale haired woman said.

"Well I wouldn't be able to tell you that. I come here as often as I can, but that only started over the last few months." Vitani told them.

They entered the village then, and began to look around at some of the stores. After wandering the streets for a while, they eventually came upon the beginnings of the training fields of Konoha. "Well these aren't different at all." Hikari said, looking at the fields she had visited infrequently as a child. Though she did remember the few field trips that her class at the academy had taken to the fields in order to see the other ninjas practicing.

Suddenly there was an explosion in the distance, followed by a large tremor, and a cloud of smoke. A passing villager sighed. "Those Uchihas are at it again." She commented, shaking her head.

This caused Hikari and Kai to perk up instantaneously. "Uchiha?" they both asked, though they were thinking of different ones. Kai's mind was full of visions of the only female Uchiha, while Hikari was thinking about the youngest and oldest triplet. Her only friends when she had lived in Leaf.

Vitani blinked, becoming confused. "Do you guys know them?" she asked.

"Just Izayoi." The grey eyed man said, his gaze on the now diminishing cloud of smoke.

"And Kanamé." Hikari said, smiling in glee. "Do you know them?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My parents are friends with theirs, and I've met them a few times growing up. We've only now begun to be better friends now that we're older and can travel between villages whenever we want."

Hikari grabbed both of her companions' hands and began to drag them behind her as she headed towards the field the explosion had come from. "Come on, let's go and say hi! I'll bet they'll be happy to see us."

The brunette haired woman frowned. She wasn't really good at depicting the relationships between others, but she didn't need to be in order to know that the eldest triplet meant something to her new friend. But how well did this woman know Kanamé? What exactly was their relationship?

"Hikari, not so fast." Kai said, since the pace of her run wasn't giving him enough time to compose himself. He hadn't seen Izayoi in years, and he felt a fluttering in the pit of his stomach at the thought of getting to see how she had changed. He bet she was even more beautiful than when they had first met, and he hoped she hadn't cut her hair. It was his favorite feature that she had.

They didn't have to run for long before they broke through a line in the trees, and the field where the explosion had occurred was revealed to them. There stood three ebony haired men, each similar in looks and height. They all had discarded their shirts, though only two were facing the trio of newcomers. One was an exact replica of the current Hokage, though his expression was one of happiness, instead of boredom. The other looked similar to the eldest Uchiha, the same disinterest present in his forest green eyes. The last one, the one facing away from them, was the tallest of the three, though not by much. His back shined with sweat, and his ebony hair was mussed, as if he had run his hand through it recently.

Kai let out a small breath of relief at the knowledge that Izayoi wasn't here. This way he didn't look like an idiot being dragged behind his younger cousin.

"Hey! Guys!" Hikari called, getting the three males' attention as they got closer. Vitani let out a sigh of relief once they were upon the three and she could clearly see everyone that they were with, and a small smile came to her face.

The elder Uchiha turned around, his eyes an undeniable red. He saw Vitani and waved to the girl, but his gaze instantly shifted to the white haired woman before him. His eyes lowered to her chest and he couldn't help but smirk when he took in her whole figure as she stopped before him. Hikari opened her mouth to greet him, but froze when he spoke first. "Well, well, well. If it isn't sexy, fine, Granny." Noriaki purred, placing both his hands on her hips and leaning down. "I haven't seen you in a long while sweet stuff. You're a lot fucking hotter than you were as a flat little girl."

Her violet eyes widened in horror. It wasn't Kanamé. It was Noriaki. And by the sounds of it, he had only gotten worse in his habits of playing with women and their feelings. Her eyes slanted into an icy glare then. She released Vitani and Kai's hands, placing them on Noriaki's wrists and pressing her thumbs into the insides, causing him to release her. "And you're a lot more of an asshole than you were as a douchy little boy." She retaliated, stepping away from him.

One of the other Uchihas snorted. "Seems she knows you really well, huh Nori?" he snickered, pushing his brother slightly.

"Fuck you Sano." He snapped, glaring back at his brother for a moment. "Shut up or I'll kick your scrawny ass little queer." He looked back to Hikari then and smirked. "And if I recall you were pretty happy the last time I saw you. When I brought you that flower."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. And then broke your promise and made me feel like an idiot. Do you still work that way Noriaki? Do you play nice with the ladies and promise them things, and then completely destroy them and make them wonder what the hell they were thinking when they gave you a chance?" she smirked humorlessly. "Glad to know I made that mistake early on."

Vitani blinked. Wow, it seemed like this girl really did have some history with the Uchihas. Or some of them anyways. Kai sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. This was going to be a long trip if things stayed this way. And all he really wanted to do was see Izayoi.

The smirk fell from the Uchiha's face, his expression turning a bit fierce as he grabbed Hikari by the wrists and pulled her against his body. "What makes you think they even have the luxury of a chance?" he said lowly.

"Let go of me." The pale haired woman ordered, glaring at him once more.

Noriaki did just that, his crimson gaze meeting hers. "I liked it better when you thought I was Kanamé." He seethed, walking past her and to Vitani. "Hey Ta-ta. Make it to Konoha alright?" he almost smiled.

Vitani nodded, glancing at Hikari's stiff form before looking back at Noriaki. "Yeah. I ran into those two when I got close to the gates, and figured I'd hang out with them before telling my grandparents I'm here." She said.

Hayate walked up next to his brother and smiled at the brunette. "Well you know Vitani, you gotta say hi to them sometime. Might as well get it over with."

"Or I could just go and hang out with Kanamé and not tell them until tonight." She smirked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Can I go with you? I want to see Kanamé too." Hikari said, turning and facing the other woman. Vitani frowned, but before she could say anything Kai made a sound of protest.

"Oh come on." He exasperated. "If we're going to go off and find more Uchihas, can we please just go and see Izayoi?" he asked, instantly earning himself three crimson gazes.

Sanosuke walked over and stood next to his older brother, his eyes narrowing. "How do you know Iza? I've never seen you around here before."

"How _do_ you know my sister?" Noriaki wondered, shifting his gaze to Kai, his sharingan spinning a bit in irritation. "And you sure as hell better not go look for her. She's got better things to do than entertain the likes of you." he scoffed.

Hayate shrugged. "He seems okay to me."

"That's because you like everybody Hayate. Your vote doesn't count." Sanosuke said.

Kai simply met their gazes, not seeming intimidated in the least. "She kept your grandfather from killing me, and we had tea. She told me when we left with Hikari that the next time I came back we'd do something else." He said simply.

Hikari stepped forward and grabbed her cousin's hand. "Come on Kai. Let's just go and find Kanamé. He might be more help." She said, tugging to urge him to go with her. She really didn't want to be around Noriaki anymore. It was causing old, buried wounds to come to the surface, and she didn't want that.

An idea struck Vitani then. "Oh you don't need to look for him. He's at the Hokage Tower, learning from his dad." She said.

"Great." The pale haired woman said, pulling Kai behind her as they walked off the field.

Hayate frowned in confusion. "Vitani…Namé's off reading." He said.

"I know." The brunette smirked, inwardly pleased with herself. "Is he off in the usual place?" she asked, her aqua gaze shifting to Noriaki.

"Yeah." The older boy exhaled, running his hand through his hair. "You know where he's at." Noriaki sighed and held his hand out, waiting for Sanosuke to throw him his shirt. When he did, he pulled it on and cracked his neck. "I'm gonna go shower. See you freaks later." He waved, walking off with a frown on his face.

Sanosuke looked at his younger brother. "I bet I can beat you home, and make mom smile first." He smirked.

Hayate smiled. "Now way."

"Loser does all the dishes?"

The youngest Uchiha nodded. "You are _so_ on." He said, and then the two disappeared, leaving Vitani to herself. She simply turned and headed off towards the park, thinking about all the potential ways that Hikari would know the eldest Uchiha. She shook her head. It was best to just wait and talk to Kanamé about it. There was no way he would go for a girl like her anyways, right? Sure, she was attractive, had bigger breasts, and really pretty eyes, but that was no reason for him to have any sort of romantic feelings for her.

She walked through the park, following the river and going to the farthest corner of the park where not many people frequented. She went beneath one of the bridges, smiling when she spotted the ebony haired man propped against the wall with a book in his hands. "You know," she said, getting his attention as she made her way over to him. "One of these days someone is going to discover your spot. It might be to your advantage to find another one." She teased, plopping down on the ground next to him.

Kanamé smiled, meeting Vitani's gaze as she sat next to him. "I know, I know." He sighed, shaking his head and shutting his book. "But I just like this spot so much." He smirked, nudging her with his shoulder. "How are you? It's been awhile. Say hello to the old folks yet?"

She rolled her eyes, the smile still on her face. "As if." She said. "You know I always wait until the last possible moment to inform them of my arrival."

"Of course, of course." He nodded, patting her leg. "So you want me to entertain you until you decide to get the worst part over with?"

"If you wouldn't mind my company." Vitani said, laying her head on his shoulder comfortably. "I know you like your solitude, after all."

He smiled. "I always like spending time with you. I can do both, because you like quiet too."

She laughed softly, agreeing with him. They sat there for a while, simply enjoying one another's presence. A thought came to the brunette's mind then, causing her earlier unease to return. She needed to ask Kanamé about Hikari, but it had to be done in a delicate manner, so that he wouldn't figure out her true reasons. "I met some interesting people on my way here." She commented, knowing that he would take the bait.

"Did you now?" Kanamé said, looking down at her. "That's great, are they here staying in Konoha with you?"

"No, they came on some kind of political business from Kumo." She said. "Their names are Kai and Hikari." She looked up at him. "Have you met them before? It seemed like they knew you guys."

The dark haired man thought for a moment, looking off. Then it hit him, "Oh right." he nodded and looked back at Vitani. "Hikari used to live here in Konoha with her mom. She went to my school for awhile. Then her mom died and she moved away with that guy Kai and her dad."

Vitani nodded. "Oh okay." She grew silent then as she looked off, that nagging feeling still in her. Her gaze returned to the ebony haired man. "So how well do you know her? She seemed to know Nori pretty well."

"Um…well considering I haven't seen her in like ten or so years, I don't really know her at all. I'm sure she changed. And they only act like that cause' Noriaki used to pick on her when we were little, and he had a huge crush on her. And I'm pretty sure she liked him too."

This made her laugh. "Well she definitely doesn't like him now." She said, her doubts beginning to leave her. If Kanamé doesn't really seem to care about her that much, then things would be fine, right? She sat up then. "Do you want to grab something to eat? I promise after dinner I'll go see my grandparents." She sang out in an attempt to convince him even further. Since she knew that her relationship with her grandparents bothered him, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Sure thing." Kanamé smirked, getting up and helping her to her feet. "So long as I can call it a date this time without you fainting."

Her cheeks darkened. "I didn't faint…it was just a mixture of heat, exhaustion, and stress. I passed out from natural causes." She tried to convince him, though her cheeks just got darker as he led her out from under the bridge. She glanced up and saw the smirk that he was trying to hide. "Oh shut up." She pouted, sticking out her lower lip slightly.

The Uchiha laughed, lacing his fingers with hers. "Whatever you say Vitani, whatever you say."

* * *

><p>"I'm pretty sure she told us the wrong thing on purpose." Kai said, watching as his cousin scoured every street and alley for Kanamé.<p>

"No, she must have just gotten it wrong. Vitani doesn't live here after all, so how well could she know him?" Hikari said, tapping her chin in thought. "Maybe if we just go by their house, and then-"

Kai let out an exasperated noise, causing the pale haired woman next to him to halt. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, puzzled.

Her grabbed her by the arms and began to shake her slightly. "Will you just shut up about finding Kanamé? I want to find Izayoi. For once, can we please just do what I want to do first, and what you want to do later? I bet she'll even know where he is, since you so _clearly_ don't want to go and ask Noriaki or any of the others." He said.

Hikari blinked. "Um…sure thing Kai. All you had to do was ask you know. You didn't have to have a little hissy fit." She laughed, waving him off as she began to walk once more.

He clenched his fists, waving them around behind her as he had another 'fit', as his cousin liked to call them. Ignoring the odd stares he was receiving, he yanked on his shirt in order to straighten it out. Then he let out a breath and followed her, breathing deeply to calm himself. He just needed to relax and think of how beautiful Izayoi was going to be. He couldn't wait to see her. He was torn from his thoughts as Hikari let out a squeal.

"Izayoi!" she yelled, running towards an ebony haired woman.

His stormy gaze darted forward at the name, and widened as he saw his cousin embrace another woman. This was it. They had finally found her. Izayoi. He took a deep breath for courage and walked over to the two women, stopping next to them so that he could better see how much the female Uchiha had changed.

"Hikari!" an unbelievably sweet and almost sing-song voice called out happily. "I cannot believe you are here!" Izayoi giggled, releasing her tight hold and looking over the woman. "My goodness, you're gorgeous." She breathed out, stepping back and giving her a once over. "Wow it's so good to see you. You changed so much." The dark haired woman smiled, appearing even more beautiful. Her jade depths shown in the brilliant sunlight as her dark locks cascaded around her, framing her face perfectly. Her hair went down all the way to the back of her calves, every strand luscious.

She was wearing black attire, as most of the Uchihas did. Her top was strapless, held up by her perfect cleavage, and lined with a silver rim. The shirt was tight so that it wouldn't fall down in case she needed to move. She wore short, black shorts and knee high ninja shoes just like her mother, a kunai pouch strapped around her waist. On her arms were arm covers, starting at her wrists and stopping mid-bicep.

Hikari giggled. "So did you. And your hair got so long." She commented.

"Yeah, I never cut it. Apparently Uchiha women back in the old clan days tried to grow their hair out as much as possible." She nodded, running her fingers through it and laughing. "It's a bit difficult sometimes, but I love it."

"Me too." Kai sighed, his eyes widening when both women looked at him inquisitively. "I mean…it's nice to see you again Izayoi." He laughed somewhat awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

She blinked, a confused look appearing on her expression. "I'm sorry," she smiled hesitantly. "Do I know you?"

His face fell, and he looked utterly devastated. "It's me…Kai…" he said. "Remember?" he asked hopefully.

The woman shook her head, "No…I'm sorry." She frowned, looking absolutely heartbroken. "I don't…um, how do you know me?" she asked. "Maybe it'll help me remember."

"Well…I came to your grandfather's house once…that day you first beat him in shogi." He clarified. "And he was going to kill me, but you saved me, and we had tea, though I don't like it very much. So you said on the day that Hikari and I left for Kumo that next time we could have something other than tea, since you knew I didn't like it very much."

Izayoi blinked, arching a curious brow since she still looked confused. "Hmm…" she lifted her hand and brushed some of her hair behind her ear. Then her eyes widened in realization, "Oh! Yes! I remember now." She smiled, a small pink blush coming to her cheeks. "I'm sorry, how rude of me not to remember. Yes, you came by and my grandfather appeared behind you in the bushes." She nodded.

Kai smiled. "Yeah." He said, glad that she seemed to remember him now. Hikari rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"So Izayoi, how have you been since I left?" the pale haired woman asked. "I've heard a few things about your family over the years, but all the way out in Kumo, it's mostly speculation and rumors." She laughed.

"Oh?" she looked to her long time friend with an inquiring glance. "And what things would those be? I hope nothing too outrageous."

"Well you know, that your grandfather is training you so that he can build an army and take over Konoha, the first step having been getting your dad to be the Hokage and whatnot. Just stupid things like that. Although I also heard that you guys were all in Anbu, except for your youngest brother, who is interning at the hospital to take over from your mom. That one I hope is true." Hikari smiled.

"Sure is." Izayoi said, with another bright smile. "Hayate is a master healer, even greater than my grandmother some say. He's so kind too. Everyone loves him, and he likes to play with the kids. He's going to be great."

"That sounds great." The other woman nodded. "Kai and I are in Anbu in Kumo. They usually just send the two of us out together for our missions."

The grey eyed man smirked. "That's because I'm the only one who can stand to be around you." he teased, earning himself a punch in the gut.

The dark haired girl watched them both interact with adoration. "I usually go by myself. Or with one of my brothers. It is rare there is ever a mission that is _so_ dangerous it would require all three of us."

Hikari and Kai nodded in understanding. Then something sparked in the back of the pale haired woman's mind. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where Kanamé is, would you? I've been trying to find him since I arrived, but I can't find him. I checked the Hokage Tower, because I was told he would be there, but he hadn't been there all day."

"Oh you probably won't find him anytime soon." Izayoi explained, glancing up at the sun and gauging the time. "Yeah, usually he skips out on my father to go read, but Vitani is coming in today and she always knows where to find him in his secret spots. They're probably out to dinner right now before they head over to her grandparent's house."

"I told you that Vitani told us the wrong place." Kai pointed out, crossing his arms. "But you wouldn't listen."

Hikari pouted. "Shut up. She seemed nice enough, I didn't think she was just going to lie to us."

The Uchiha seemed confused once more. "You guys know Kanamé's girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" the two Kumo ninja asked, seeming surprised.

"Well…" she shrugged. "Not 'technically'. But they go out all the time when she's here, and they talk about it. Kanamé wants her to be his girlfriend, but Vitani doesn't think they should label themselves just yet since she lives in a whole different village. But they totally are. She even admitted it to me once."

Hikari glared, though it wasn't directed at anyone in particular. "Well she could have said something. All I knew was that she knew you guys. What is she, some kind of psycho possessive person? You know what, I'm going to go and find them. Because girlfriend or not, Kanamé was _my_ friend first." She declared, turning and beginning to stomp off.

"Don't forget we have to meet your dad for dinner in an hour!" Kai called after his cousin, earning a wave to show that she had heard him. He sighed, before looking back at Izayoi. "She'll be fine, she just needs to calm down. She hates it when people lie to her." he explained.

Izayoi smiled after her friend before looking up to meet Kai's gaze. "Oh I'm sure she will. After all, Vitani doesn't lie for just no reason. Hikari has grown into a very beautiful woman and Vitani is somewhat insecure. Even though my brother really, really likes her, she doubts it because her mother had a thing for my father and well…it wasn't very pretty. My mom can get really vicious when it comes to my father."

He just shrugged. "Well, people do get really weird when it comes to the person they love." He said. "So, Izayoi, I was thinking, since you didn't really remember me, and you did promise we'd get something other than tea next time I was in town, we should go out to dinner tomorrow night." He suggested, giving her his most winning smile. "That way we can get to know one another better, while enjoying each other's company."

The woman stared at him, looking absolutely shocked and speechless. The silence dragged on, almost to a painful state. Kai swallowed, his nervousness slowly beginning to show on his face as he thought about the possible things she could be thinking of him in this moment because he'd asked her on a simple date. "R-really?" she almost exploded, her face turning a dark red as she stepped closer to him. "You want to take me on a date?" she gasped, taking his hands in her own.

He blinked, gripping her hands in return. "Well, yes." He said, smiling slightly.

"Of course I would love to go! Should I dress up? Like maybe a nice cocktail dress. We should go somewhere nice." She blabbered on, only growing more excited. "Yes, yes, yes. I'm so excited! I've never been asked out before."

Kai actually looked shocked. "Really?" he asked her, his eyes widening. "But you're so beautiful, and nice, and caring. Any guy would be lucky to go out with you." he said, his smile widening. "I'm going to take you on the best date ever. I want this to be a good experience for you." he promised.

"Okay." Izayoi said, getting up on her tip toes then and kissing his cheek. "You know where to find me." She whispered into his ear. "Try not to break in this time." She snickered, pulling away from him and waving as she disappeared in a swirl of sand.

He blushed, staring at the spot where she had just been. She had said yes. She was going to go to dinner with him. He had a date with Izayoi. "YES!" he shouted, running off to try and begin preparations for their date before he had to meet his relatives for dinner.

* * *

><p>"I think we should walk off our dinner before going to my grandparent's house." Vitani stated, glancing up at the ebony haired man she had just eaten with. "You know…cause' it's good for you."<p>

"Nope. We're going to go see them. You can walk it off on the walk there." The eldest of the Uchiha children smirked, placing his hand on the small of her back and pushing her forward.

She frowned, seeing that her plan hadn't worked. She looked around to try and see if she could come up with anything else that would deter him. A smile came to her face. "You know, I just remembered I have some errands to run, so if you'll excuse me…" she said, turning to walk off in another direction.

"Too bad." He sighed. "Now I don't have anyone to stop me from telling them about that _hot_ make-out session in the hot springs the last time you came to visit. And how cute you look downstairs and how soft your-" he was silenced when Vitani's hands clamped over his mouth.

"If you want any repeats of what happened the last time I visited, you will keep that information to yourself." she huffed, her face a dark red. "Now let's go." She pouted, grabbing his hand and pulling him in the direction of her grandparent's house.

The Uchiha smiled. "Glad to hear we're back on track. Then maybe we can go and hang out in your hotel for a while and I can show you how much I missed you." he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her against him. "You make the cutest faces when I play with you."

She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Kanamé-"

"KANAMÉ!" a voice shouted, breaking the two's moment as they looked forward to see Hikari running towards them. Kanamé's arm fell from Vitani as the white haired woman launched herself into the Uchiha's arms, hugging him around the neck. "I've been trying to find you everywhere." she said, a big smile on her face.

Kanamé stumbled back, steadying himself and the person that had flung themselves on him. He had no idea what was going on. But he knew one thing for sure, he could feel Vitani's murderous aura and immediately lifted his hands in somewhat of a surrender to show her he was doing nothing inappropriate. "Um…ok." He said, trying to look at the person. "Who are you?"

The woman attached to him lowered herself, though her arms remained around his neck. "It's me, Hikari." She laughed, finally lowering her arms. "I'm offended that you didn't recognize me. I recognized you."

Vitani snorted, crossing her arms. Damnit, she thought she'd gotten rid of this chick. And like hell she recognized Kanamé, she'd thought Noriaki was the eldest triplet. He stared down at her before it clicked. "Oh, Hikari. I remember you. Wow it's been a long time. How are you? What are you doing in Konoha?" he asked, smiling slightly.

"I'm doing pretty good. My dad came to visit for some political thing. So he invited me and my cousin Kai to come with him as a sort of family vacation." She shrugged. "So how are you? She asked, looking him up and down. "You got really tall."

"Thanks. And that's cool." He said before looking over at Vitani and offering his hand out to her, which she took instantly. "I'm doing very well. In fact, I'd like to introduce you to Vitani. She's sorta my girlfriend. We were just on our way to her grandparent's house to visit them."

Hikari glanced at the brunette haired woman, the two exchanging a look before she returned her gaze to the Uchiha. "Well have fun with that. We should hang out tomorrow and catch up." She suggested. "Maybe grab something to eat. You could show me all the things that have changed around here since I left." She smiled prettily.

"Kanamé's really busy, I don't know if he'd have time to do that. You know, since he's training to be the next Hokage and all." Vitani said, pushing against him to try and get him to move. "So you might just be out of luck on that one."

The man blinked, looking between the two. He was definitely missing something. "Um, well actually I was going to be with my father most of the day, and then Vitani and I were going to have lunch. But I do know someone who would love to show you around Konoha and everything that's been happening. If you really want to and I can see you later that way." He nodded, looking down at the brunette attached to his side since she had given him another pull. But the stare he gave her made her cease her actions and look off.

The pale haired woman glanced between the two, before nodding. "Okay, that'd be nice." She said. "Is it someone I know? Where can I meet them?"

"Yeah. It'll be nice I promise. You can meet him in the cherry blossom park around ten tomorrow. Sound good?" he asked.

"It sounds great." Hikari smiled. "Well I have to get going. I'm supposed to meet Kai and my dad for dinner in a little while. It was nice to see you though." She looked at Vitani. "Have fun with your grandparents."

Vitani locked gazes with the other woman and smiled, though it was fake. "Thanks. I will. Come on baby." She ordered, beginning to pull Kanamé away from the violet eyed woman.

He smiled down at her and waved to Hikari before they both disappeared around the corner. Hikari let out a sigh as she turned to go and meet up with her family. Tomorrow looked to be interesting, and she couldn't help but wonder who her guide was going to be tomorrow. Kanamé had said it was someone she knew, so perhaps it was someone from their academy days? She hoped he was attractive at least. Because she could really use a distraction from all of the ghosts that were coming back to haunt her, and a little boy toy might be nice. With a smile, she entered the restaurant and joined the two men in her life that had never let her down.


	5. Date Day

**Beyond the Looking Glass**

_Chapter Five_

-Date Day-

Hikari stood under the largest cherry blossom tree in the entire park, waiting for her guide to arrive. This morning when she had woken up, she'd showered and gotten ready, even going so far as to fluff her hair out a bit and spray on some perfume. It wasn't that she wanted anything romantic to potentially happen or anything, but she liked to make good first impressions.

The mystery behind who she was meeting was still exciting to her. He had to be nice at least, for Kanamé to recommend him. She frowned then. She hoped she wasn't inconveniencing him too much by having him do her this favor. Letting out a sigh, she leaned against the bark of the tree and closed her eyes, enjoying the way the soft breeze caused her hair to float as she took in the wonderful aroma of the blossoms.

She didn't hear the footsteps before he spoke. "Yo." An unmistakable voice said. Hikari's eyes snapped open and she saw the tall, lean figure of Noriaki. He was skinnier than Kanamé, and now that she had seen both of them, she could see how much more fierce the younger triplet's features were than that of his brother's. He had on black ninja pants and a tight, form fitting black v-neck shirt that was sleeveless. "Long time no see."

"You have got to be kidding me." She said, pushing away from the tree. "You? No." she shook her head. "Thanks for coming out here and all, but I'll just find someone else to show me around. I'm sure you have more important things to do." She said, beginning to walk past him and out of the park.

Noriaki looked after her, his expression turning to one of annoyance. "I don't know what I did to make you hate me, but it's starting to get irritating. Kanamé said you wanted to see Konoha and I said yes. It's not that big of a deal, and it's not like I would rather be doing something else or anything."

She snorted, halting and turning to face him. "Look, I know how you are Noriaki, so you can cut the crap." She said, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not stupid, and I hate it when people lie to me."

"Excuse me?" he glared. "First of all, you actually _don't _know me. It's been eleven years Hikari. Eleven. That's a lot. I'm almost twenty years old now. You know me about as much as I know you. And I was hoping _maybe_ you'd stop being a bitch for no reason for a couple hours so we could attempt to get to know each other once again."

"Well I don't want to get to know you once again, because I already know how that will end." Hikari told him, turning and walking away once more.

"What happened to you?" he asked sharply.

She glanced at him over her shoulder and raised a delicate brow. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't understand. I thought you stopped hating me before you left. So how do you hate me now? What could have possibly happened or what could you have heard that makes you loath me so much."

Sadness entered her violet gaze, and she looked to the ground. "I can't believe you don't remember." She said softly, looking back up at him. "You didn't come and say goodbye." She explained, crossing her arms in a form of hugging herself. "I waited for as long as I could, and you never came to see me. You never even wrote me explaining why you didn't show up."

Noriaki opened his mouth to reply but then closed it, since he really didn't know what to say. "Hikari…" he sighed, looking off. "It's really stupid. Okay, I was just a kid. You can't really stay mad at me for something that happened over ten years ago."

A humorless smile came to her face. "If you knew how much it meant to me to see you before I left then you wouldn't be saying that. And I'm not mad…anymore. I just don't want to be treated the same way that I was all those years ago."

"Well I promise I won't ditch you or anything, so we shouldn't have any problems." He tried to reason.

She sighed and gave him an assessing look. "Alright." she conceded. "I suppose I can give you a second chance. But if you even _think_ of calling me a Granny, I'm out of here."

Noriaki smirked, giving her a once over. "I could call you a lot of things." He said, leaning closer to her so his mouth was beside her ear. "Granny isn't even close to being one of them." he mumbled, pulling her against him, mostly so he could feel her gorgeous body pressed against his. "Now, Goddess, on the other hand, is definitely in the top five. Along with gorgeous, possibly great." He continued, letting his hand on the small of her back lower slightly.

"And you once said I was flat and too much like a boy where I should be a girl." Hikari smirked, reaching back and grabbing his wrist, halting his hand's descent. "But just because I have curves now doesn't mean you can touch them, so let's keep our hands to ourselves, okay?" she removed his hand from her and stepped away from him.

He gave her a small pout and straightened. "Fine, fine. I'll attempt to refrain, but I promise nothing." He chuckled before walking past her. "Since it's been so long we can start with the parks." He announced. "This is Cherry Blossom Tree park, obviously because it's mostly made up of cherry blossoms. Personally, it's my favorite one we have."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that your mom's hair is the color of cherry blossoms, would it?" she asked with a slight smile. "Or that your grandma's name is Sakura?"

"Now that's just far too obvious." He said with a small smile, though she didn't see it.

She chuckled. "Alright, so what's the unobvious reason you like this park so much?"

"I think flowers are pretty." He shrugged. "Green trees are boring, but pink trees are exciting." Noriaki explained before leading her out of the park and stopping once they were in front of their old Academy. "You remember the Ninja Academy."

"Of course, I have a lot of memories from here. Some better than others." She nodded. "It hasn't changed a bit."

"Not really, bunch of annoying kids running around, teasing one another. It's almost like it's a generational thing." He nodded, hearing a bell and then seeing the kids run out to the yard for their lunch break. They watched the kids together for a bit before they saw a young boy chasing a girl with blonde hair around with a bug in his hand.

"You know I'm pretty sure you did something like that to me once." The pale haired woman observed, watching the girl run.

Hikari gasped and Noriaki tensed slightly when the girl tripped started crying loudly, making the brown hair boy stop chasing her and look scared for a moment. He tossed the bug aside and went to help the girl, only to see she had a scrape on her knee. They couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was obvious by not only the look on his face that he was apologizing, and then he leaned in and kissed her knee.

"That is so cute." Hikari said softly, covering her cheek with her hand. "I bet he likes her." she said to the Uchiha next to her.

Noriaki watched the scene closely, almost as if he were calculating something. "Hm." Was his only reply. He started walking once more, leading her off towards the playground and then the shops.

They walked in silence for a while, until eventually Hikari looked up at him. "I know it's been a while, but I don't remember you being this quiet."

He looked off, his hands forming to fists in his pockets so she couldn't see. "I told you I would be good. So…I'm filtering."

She arched a brow. "Filtering?" she almost laughed. "Noriaki…I'd rather hear your vulgarity than deal with your silence. You can even try to feel me up one more time."

Noriaki huffed and glanced back at her. "My brother told me specifically to behave. I've only just now realized how little I have to say." He frowned and then shook his head, before facing her. He smirked his normal cocky smirk, and lifted his hand, brushing his fingers down her cheek. "It's pretty hard though, so I'll take my permission to be devious and charming." He smoothed his hand down her throat and cupped the back of her head, bringing her closer so they were but a lips' distance apart. "Maybe I can kiss it and make it better from being so mean to you when we were little." He said softly, feeling her breath mingle with his as it picked up.

Hikari felt her heart pound in her chest as she stared up at him, not sure what to do, or even say in that moment. "It'd have to be some kiss…" she said softly. "I mean, it's been eleven years."

"Well, then you might want to hold on." He smirked. "I wouldn't want you to fall from your knees giving out." he said, wrapping an arm around her to fully press her against him. He leaned in slowly, actually giving her a pause so she could pull away. When she didn't, he kissed her, something unleashing inside of him that he didn't know he was holding back, but he wanted this to be the best kiss she'd ever gotten in her life. He wanted her to be so mind blown she would completely forget he'd ever wronged her. His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't deter. Why did he even care that much? She was a complete stranger to him now, she was nothing more than an old friend with an insanely erotic body he wanted to conquer and devour and make her beg for him to dominate her. But even he couldn't deny there wasn't something more stirring inside. But being the strong and egotistical man he was, he refused to delve, and instead focused on the amazing kiss they were now sharing in front of a square of people.

Hikari let out a quiet moan as she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she lost herself in his kiss and the feeling of his mouth and body pressed against hers. She couldn't believe what it was making her feel. She'd thought she'd hated Noriaki, and hadn't even planned on giving him a second chance. But he was proving to be something she hadn't expected, and this kiss was proving to her that they had something between them. Something that she might have to explore with the Uchiha before she had to return to Kumogakure. Eventually they had to part in order to breathe, but they stayed close together, for Hikari could feel her knees wobbling. "That…was even better than I thought it would be." Hikari panted, a bit short of breath.

Noriaki looked pleased, but kept his arm around her waist and his other hand tangled in her hair. "I'm glad you like it." he replied cockily. "I could do so much to you…" he said in almost a whisper, letting his fingers trail up her spine. "Anything you want, I would be willing to do. Anything at all." He emphasized.

Hikari swallowed as she looked up at him. "Noriaki…I can't…I've never even kissed someone before today." she admitted, a dark blush coming to her face. "I mean…nothing more than an awkward peck."

"It could be non-sexual things." He chuckled, unable to stop himself from adoring how cute she looked when she was blushing. Though what he imagined her looking like with that same dark red look was her naked and tangled in his sheets. He could hardly contain his erection from the mere thought of taking her virginity and hearing her cries from beneath him.

Her cheeks darkened as she felt his arousal, but she smiled. "I don't even think you know how to _do_ non-sexual things."

"I could learn." He almost pouted. He inwardly berated himself, why was he sounding so foolish? And romantic. But he forced himself not to grimace, but as he looked at her face, somehow he didn't care. She looked so cute, and he could see her as that sweet little girl he'd teased so many times.

Hikari's smile widened, and she opened her mouth, about to say something when-"Noriakiiiiii!" a woman cried out, getting the two's attention. Hikari looked over and went wide eyed, seeing a woman just as busty as her, with long brown hair and bright green eyes, wearing a revealing kimono, and in Hikari's opinion, too much make-up. But the way she smiled and waved at the Uchiha implied that they had done naughty things together. Hikari stiffened and stepped out of his hold, right as the other woman came up and pressed against Noriaki. "You haven't come to see me in a while my sweet Uchiha." She purred, tracing her finger along his jaw. "I'm beginning to think you've forgotten all about me." she pouted.

He blinked and Hikari could tell that he had no idea who this woman was. "Uh," he pulled away from her, noticing Hikari's demeanor. "Who are you again?" he asked, not sounding sorry at all that he couldn't remember.

"Oh you remember who I am!" she laughed. "It's me, Sakano. You know, your favorite girl in the Red Lights District." She said, lowering her hand to his erection.

"You know what?" Hikari held up a hand, completely appalled. "I'm just going to leave you two to get reacquainted, since you fuck so many women you can't even remember who they are. Though I guess I should count myself lucky you even knew who I was, and we haven't done a thing." She said flippantly, beginning to walk off. "Thanks for the tour Noriaki, I appreciate you taking time out of your day for little old me."

He forced Sakano away and went after her. "Come on Hikari! She's just a whore!" he tried to reason.

She glared back at him. "So what does that make me?" she asked.

"You're Hikari." He said as if it were obvious. "I told you I would try, I'm trying. I swear. The timing…is just…I mean, obviously I'm attracted to you and want to do terrible, terrible things to you. But I can hold off, I think."

The violet eyed woman shook her head. "I think it would just be best if you stayed away from me."

He gave her a hard look, but refrained from speaking. "Fine. It's not like I can't find something far more interesting to do than walk around all day with an annoying Granny like you!" he snapped, turning and walking off.

"You can do me Nori!" Sakano swooned, following after him and taking his arm.

"Get off me." he snapped, jerking his arm from hers and disappearing in a swirl of sand.

"I knew I was right about you." Hikari whispered as her eyes filled with tears. She turned to run off, immediately colliding with a hard body and knocking the ice cream they were holding out of their hand. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry." She apologized, looking up to see a handsome man with vivid fuchsia eyes framed by light brown locks. Then she remembered her appearance and wiped at her eyes. "I can buy you another one."

The man laughed and shook his hand from the mess that was on his hand from the crushed cone and gave her a charming smile. "Don't worry about it." He assured her. "It was just ice cream, probably good I didn't eat it. I'm trying to watch the calories." He joked, noticing her slightly red eyes immediately. "I doubt we could all eat whatever we wish and remain as pretty as you are."

Hikari laughed slightly, sniffing once as she got a hold of herself. "You flatter me." she said with a smile, instantly liking him. "I hardly ever eat what I wish. It's like you said, you gotta watch your calories."

He only continued to give her a friendly grin, before walking over to a water fountain that was free to the public. "Well, if you insist, you can join me and I can get you one as well." He told her over his shoulder as he cleaned his hand.

"I'd really like that." she said. "My name's Hikari, by the way."

"Hideaki." He introduced himself once he turned back to face her. "Akechi Hideaki." He took her hand and kissed the back of it before straightening. "You must be new, because I've never seen you around before."

"I guess you could say that." she shrugged. "I lived here until I was seven, and then moved to Lightning with my dad. We're here sort of on a mission, but I think he wanted me to get to come back and see my friends, because we're staying for a couple of weeks."

He arched a curious brow as he started to walk with her. "Your friends? Who would they be, I might possibly know them."

"Uchiha Kanamé and Uchiha Izayoi." The white haired girl said. "They're the only ones who wrote to me after I moved, though it was mostly Izayoi who continued, and even then the letters stopped after a few years. But the life of a shinobi is a busy one, for them especially, if all the rumors I heard were right." she said, not begrudging the lack in communication at all. "I'm hoping maybe now that we're older we might be better at staying in touch."

He seemed to become more interested in her and chuckled. "The Uchihas huh? Kanamé happens to be one of my best friends. We went to the Academy together, him and Noriaki of course. Izayoi is a bit hard to get to know." He smirked. "What with all those boys trying to seek out her attention for the wrong reasons. She doesn't have many friends due to her brothers." He explained.

"Oh yes, I remember." She chuckled. "Scaring away even girls who tried to befriend her." she said, a shadow briefly flashing over her eyes, before it disappeared and she smiled once more. "I don't remember you though, and I'm sure I'd remember someone so charismatic."

Hideaki shrugged. "I wasn't too much of a talker when I was little. Kanamé and I were friends first. Noriaki always made fun of me because I liked to read and sit with Kanamé instead of go out and tease everyone. Don't get me wrong, once I got more comfortable with him I got a bit devious. But," he chuckled and stopped once they were back at the ice cream vendor. "Too bad I didn't get to meet you. You must have left just as we all got into the academy."

"I was only there a little over a month." She said, wanting to change the subject, as it was getting into dangerous territory. "Actually, I'd been walking around the village to see what had changed when I ran into you. It's nice to see that most of it is the same."

He nodded in agreement, getting them both ice cream cones and paying the slightly confused vendor before offering Hikari hers. "Good ol' Konoha." He said, going with her and sitting down on a nearby bench.

"So Hideaki, tell me about yourself." Hikari said, taking a lick of her treat.

The brunette glanced over at her, smoothing out his loose white shirt, since he was just dressed casually for his usual afternoon walk. "About me?" he mused. "Well…I like to think I'm a pretty laid back but serious guy." He chuckled. "I'm in the Anbu…but other than going on missions I rather like wasting my time doing nothing but strolling around."

Hikari smiled at the brunette, liking him even more. "Would you mind if I joined you on one of your strolls while I'm in town? I like taking walks as well, and they're more enjoyable when you have good company."

"Sure." He nodded, giving her a small grin. "Just let me know when you'd like to join me. I usually go in the late morning."

"Okay." she said. They continued to lick at their ice cream a bit, Hikari giving him a sideways glance as she took in his profile, noticing once more how attractive he was. Thoughts of Noriaki came to mind, but she pushed them away before they formed, focusing instead on Hideaki and the next thought that entered her head. "Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked before she could stop herself. She blinked. "I mean…er…you must have someone…you're so nice and attractive." She laughed a bit uncomfortably.

Hideaki glanced over at her, chuckling before he looked off. "I don't have a girlfriend, no. There _was_ someone once…but I was stupid and immature at the time and messed everything up and now she hates me." He sighed, attempting to act as if it were no big deal, but she could tell, even just meeting him, that his own word pricked something inside him she could only match to sorrow. He leaned back against the bench and met her gaze, "She lives far away though, so I doubt reconciliation is possible. She's also a pretty big grudge holder." He smirked, his somewhat light and cocky attitude returning. "How about yourself? I suppose you have men crawling over themselves to get a chance with you."

Hikari scoffed. "Yeah, but they're all pretty shallow. And while the flattery is nice, it's something I've been hearing since I turned twelve and started developing early, so you start to tune it out after a while. Plus my cousin's done his best to keep me single." She sighed. "But I'd rather have someone who sees my abilities than someone who can only see my beauty."

"What about someone who can see your heart?" he wondered. "Isn't that more important?"

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "Yeah, that too." She finished her cone then. "It's a shame it didn't work out with that girl. Seems to me you have the fine makings of a boyfriend." She laughed.

He smirked. "I'd like to think so, at least now." He said lightly. "I've gotten much better, I've attempted going to get her and proclaim…or beg for her to give me another chance. But I can't ever seem to get past her grandfather." Hideaki grinned. "I find it a challenge, but after our last encounter she's done away with me. So I attempt to move on." He said, rising and offering his hand down to her. "Enough talk of solemn things though, why not you and I go and cause some mischief and explore?"

She returned his grin and took his hand as she rose. "I do love mischief." She giggled.

"Excellent." Hideaki snickered. "My kind of girl."

Hikari beamed, and, keeping her hand in his, they began to walk. She was glad she had run into Hideaki today. He had been the perfect person to lift her spirits after what Noriaki had done to her. She resolved then and there never to give the middle triplet a chance ever again, and instead set her sights ahead, towards the brunette next to her, with the kind fuchsia eyes.


	6. Prince Charming

**Beyond the Looking Glass**

_Chapter Six_

-Prince Charming-

Izayoi sat at her vanity brushing out her freshly dried hair. It was long and silky like usual, but she wanted to look especially perfect tonight. She was so excited for her date, she couldn't stop smiling. Never before had a man been so bold enough to approach her and ask her out. Especially one so handsome and sweet. She remembered Kai crystal clear now. She felt ashamed of her ignorance, but remembering him brought a fondness to her heart. Seeing him for the first time, she'd been so excited to see a boy, an extremely cute boy trying to spy on her.

She started on her hair then, frowning as she tried to work with it. Why did she have so much hair? She huffed when, for the fourth time, her fingers got caught in the tie and messed up her hair style. Izayoi grumbled and got up and opened her door. "Moooooooooooom!" she called, before going back and sitting down at her vanity once more. It wasn't too much later that Natsumi came to her door, appearing confused.

"What's wrong Izayoi?" she asked, glancing in and seeing her daughter pouting at her reflection. "Is everything okay?"

Izayoi looked down, appearing embarrassed. "Um…well, Mom…I have…a date tonight, with a really handsome guy, but I can't seem to do my hair right."

Natsumi blinked, almost looking shocked. "You have a date?" she wondered. "Someone got past your brothers?"

The dark haired girl turned and looked back at her mother, shushing her as a small blush came to her cheeks. "None of them know about it and I would like to keep it that way. So can you help me with my hair?"

The pink haired woman chuckled and went behind her daughter, grabbing the brush and untangling her hair. "Of course sweetheart, this is so exciting. What's his name?"

Izayoi smiled once more, looking at her mother through the reflection in the mirror. "His name is Kai, he's Hikari's cousin. I met him when he came with Hikari's dad to get her when she left. He's very handsome."

"I'm glad you're excited." Natsumi grinned and pulled her daughter's hair up, working with it and putting it up in a large, but very classy bun. "There we go."

"Thanks mom." Izayoi turned and hugged her around the waist. Natsumi hugged her back and made sure not to mess up her hair. "I'll bring him in to meet you after. I want to have a date before dad and Nori kill him." She snickered.

"Good plan." The older woman winked, before kissing her daughter's head. "Love you darling, I'll try and keep the boys preoccupied.

"Thanks." The Uchiha grinned and faced her mirror once more as she put on some makeup. Just some eye liner and mascara was all she needed, since she was a natural beauty. When she was done, she got dressed in something she thought would be good for a date as well as possibly a walk. It was a tight black dress that was sleeveless and went up to her neck, but had a diamond cut out of the fabric to show off some cleavage. She slipped on some black flats as well as a black diamond bracelet her father had gotten her. She looked in the mirror and examined herself, before nodding and heading to try and meet Kai before he got to her house.

But of course, she wasn't so lucky, because as she tried to sneak past the living room, she heard her father call for her. She froze and slid back a bit, poking her head in to try and hide her attire. "Yes daddy?"

"Just where do you think you're going at this hour?" Akito asked, arching a brow as he gazed at her from over the book he'd been reading. "You'll miss dinner."

"Oh…um, well I was going to get dinner while I was out. I hope that's okay, mom said it was." She threw in quickly.

"Out doing what?" Akito wondered. "And why's your hair up? It looks so pretty down."

She seemed a bit downcast. "I thought…it looked pretty up too…" she said, looking down. "Does it not look pretty now?"

He blinked. "Oh…no! It does!" he said quickly, shutting his book and setting it down as he stood. "You just always wear it down…but I like it. Let me have a closer look." he smiled, making his way over to her.

Izayoi swallowed, but went into the living room to meet her father halfway, though she couldn't seem to meet his gaze. "So…what do you think?"

The elder Uchiha looked her up and down, appearing confused. "Well, you look beautiful, as always, but…where exactly are you going?" he asked, sounding suspicious. "And with whom?"

She glanced up at him and then quickly away. "Well, dad," she paused. It was best to just tell him the truth. "I have a date tonight." She admitted. "He's very handsome and nice, and he had tea with grandfather and I, so there's nothing to worry about." She smiled to try and cover up her slight lie. After all, they _did_ have tea together.

His gaze narrowed. "When was this? I didn't hear anything about it."

"He asked me yesterday." She said. "Mom said it was okay, she did my hair and everything."

Akito huffed. "Well you didn't ask my permission, and neither did this boy, so the answer is no." he declared. "Go put on some normal clothes and wash up for dinner, because you are eating it here."

"No!" she protested. "It's not fair! I've never had someone ask me out before and I'm very excited about this. I promised mom I would bring him home after so you could meet him, but I want to at least have one date before you try and kill him." Izayoi argued, her hands forming into fists at her sides as she huffed. "Please let me go on this date daddy, it's very important to me."

"Well your safety and well-being are very important to me, and this boy is just going to try and jeopardize all of that when he tries to get into your pants and take the innocence I have spent my entire life preserving!" Akito replied.

Izayoi arched a brow and gave him an incredulous look. "So…are you trying to say that I'm completely stupid and have absolutely no virtue whatsoever and I am easily conquered by a mere man?" she asked very seriously. "And that you don't trust me to take care of myself?"

Akito's mouth dropped open, and it was clear he was struggling for words. "Wha…well…no…" he clenched his teeth. "Noriaki! Kanamé!" he shouted, needing some back-up, since his daughter was taking after Natsumi right then, and he could never stand a chance against her manipulation tactics.

Her eyes widened and she gasped before turning and running for the door. She shoved past her brothers just as they came in to the living room, startling them as they blinked in confusion and stared after her. "Mom!" Izayoi yelled. "Dad's trying to stop me!" she called, before throwing the door open and running outside.

Noriaki only grew more confused and looked back at his father. "What's going on?"

"And why is Izayoi dressed like that?" Kanamé added.

"Stop her!" Akito screamed as he ran past them. "She's trying to go on a date!"

Just as he turned the corner a foot slammed into the side of his head and knocked him back into the living room. Natsumi walked into the doorway and stared down at her husband a bit warningly. "Akito, you need to calm down sweetheart." She said, though her tone was not one to be argued with.

"But Mom-!" Noriaki began, only to be cut off with the raise of her hand.

"No buts. Izayoi is allowed to go on a date. She's nineteen for goodness sake. Stop treating her like a child." Natsumi said, glancing at Kanamé, who obviously felt the same as his brother. "I don't want you following her, and I don't want you being mean to this boy. I want you to get your butts into the dining room and set the table, and we will all have dinner and await our daughter's arrival home with him. Okay?"

"Fine." Akito pouted, getting up off the floor. "But I want the steak knives out. The really sharp ones with the serrated blades."

"Nope." The pinked haired woman smiled, walking over to him and kissing the spot she'd kicked. She let her lips linger on his skin and smiled. "But if you're good…who knows what I would feel inclined to do to you." She said, trailing one of her fingers down his chest as she looked up at him through her lashes.

He arched a brow as he looked down at her. "You mean like…something we haven't done before?" he asked a bit hopefully. "Like third drawer freaky?"

Natsumi's grin turned devious. "Like third drawer freaky." She affirmed.

Noriaki rolled his eyes and walked off. "Even _I_ don't want to know." He grumbled, pulling the curtains back from the front window and trying to catch a glimpse of this mystery man. Kanamé was beside him quickly and the two attempted to look around the bushes. Who could have gotten past them to their sister?

* * *

><p>Izayoi tried to catch her breath as she leaned over, pressing her hand to her stomach. She looked back and smiled when no one was following her and made a silent thanks to her mother. She turned to face forward, jumping and nearly shrieking when Kai was before her. "Oh god! Kai!" she blushed, hoping he hadn't seen her out of breath. "You snuck up on me."<p>

Kai smiled at her and shrugged. He was wearing a pair of nice dark jeans and a charcoal grey button down shirt, with a black leather jacket on over it. "I wasn't trying to, I promise." He said, before his brow furrowed slightly. "How come you're out here? I thought I was getting you at your house."

"Oh." Her blush darkened. "Well…um…I couldn't exactly tell my dad about out date until, well, five minutes ago. My mom said it was okay and ran interference." She tried to explain as she smiled. "I just wanted to hit it off with no drama from my family until later."

"Yeah…probably best." He laughed, before holding out a lovely bouquet of assorted flowers to her. "These are for you. I wasn't sure what you liked so I just picked what I thought was pretty." He said a bit sheepishly.

Izayoi's mouth dropped slightly as she marveled at the flowers, taking them gently before smelling them. "They're beautiful." She said, looking up at him. "Thank you."

He returned her smile. "You're welcome." He said, before he held out his arm to her, like an old fashioned prince would do. "Shall we be off to dinner?"

She glanced at his arm, her heart practically swelling as she locked hers with his and led them both from the Uchiha District. The walk from there to the restaurant was pleasant and more than exhilarating. Izayoi loved the looks she was getting from villagers, and idly wondered if they were just surprised to see her on a date, or in awe of Kai, because he looked more handsome than anyone she had ever dreamed of.

When they made it to the restaurant they were immediately led to a table, where Kai proceeded to pull out her chair for her and push her in, before sitting across from her. "You look nice, by the way. I didn't say so earlier because I was still stunned with your beauty." Kai said as their waiter came and poured them each a glass of water.

Izayoi tried not to look so embarrassed, she'd been complimented before many times but this was so different. She felt butterflies in her stomach and for the first time was seriously concerned with everything she did. "Thank you." She smiled, taking a sip of her water. "You look very handsome."

"I tried. I didn't really have anything packed for a date, so I had to improvise. And Hikari's been gone all day, so I couldn't ask her to help me pick something out to buy." He laughed. "But it all worked out in the end."

She nodded. "You look very dashing and I'm very excited." She looked down. "I've never felt so unsure before…I'm so happy you asked me out."

"I like that you're unsure and nervous." Kai assured her. "It makes me feel like less of an idiot, cause' I've been planning this date since we were eight."

"You have?" Izayoi gasped. "Really?"

He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Well yeah. I mean, you were so pretty and so nice, not like any of the girls I knew in Kumo. And you were a good friend to Hikari, which to me speaks volumes about your character."

She watched him fondly. "I'm so flattered…I really am sorry I didn't remember you right away. But I promise now the memory is as clear as day now. I can still see your scared face as you came out of those bushes." She chuckled. "And pretending you liked tea. You were so cute."

He huffed. "Well you were a lady and I didn't want to insult you by turning down your offer. Plus I wanted to spend more time with you, so it seemed like a good lie to me." he shrugged.

"I'm glad you did." she smiled, looking up at the waiter when he came to take their order. He obviously couldn't help staring at Izayoi, but for the most part kept it to himself and quickly dismissed himself once he was finished. Izayoi just beamed, unable to hide her absolute joy. "So Kai, why don't you tell me about yourself? All I know so far is that you're sweet and don't like tea, and have a phenomenal memory."

"Well there's not much else unfortunately." Kai shrugged. "I'm in Anbu with Hikari, the Raikage favors me slightly, and other than doing missions I walk around the village causing trouble as I search for something to do."

"So you're strong?" she leaned forward a bit, before blushing and looking off. "Not that I require that or anything…I only meant…my brothers, well they can be ruthless."

"Well, not to sound old fashioned or anything, but the man is supposed to be strong in order to take care of his lady." Kai smirked. "You can admit that the fact that I'm strong appeals to you, you know. Not only is it written all over your face, but there's nothing wrong with that. It'd be the same as me admitting that I think you have an amazing body. Women look for strength and dependability, and men tend to look for an appealing outer shell. I just got lucky and found someone with beauty and brains."

Izayoi blinked, still looking a bit guilty. "Still…I mean, I didn't mean it to sound that way." She tapped her fingers a bit nervously, silently thanking God when the waiter came back with their salads and walked off.

Kai leaned forward. "Do I make you nervous?"

"I'm trying hard, I promise." She answered quickly, meeting his gaze. "I don't want to come off…as rude or arrogant, or anything you might not like. I don't want you to regret asking me out." She admitted.

"Izayoi," he reached out and placed his hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I want you to be yourself. There's no way in a million years I would ever regret asking you out, I swear."

She huffed. "You don't know that. I could be a completely different person than you remember."

"Well I won't know that if you don't act like yourself." He reasoned, sitting back in his chair.

Izayoi pouted. "I guess that makes sense." She said, beginning to eat her salad. "But I really hope you like who I am now."

"So far I do." He said. "Mostly I'm just hoping that you don't regret saying yes to this date. You kind of set the bar pretty high when you told me you'd never been on a date before. I want this to be perfect for you."

She laughed, giving him a warm smile. "But I don't even know what to expect, so everything is the best I've ever had."

"Still." He shrugged, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small smile. "I have to ensure that you'll go out with me again."

"So far so good." She said happily, going back to eating.

His smile widened, and they continued to eat and talk about themselves as the meal progressed. They split a dessert, since neither could eat a whole one by themselves, and when they finished and paid, Kai took Izayoi to one of the nearby parks for an evening stroll. "I like all the green you guys have here." He commented as they walked beneath some willow trees by the pond. "I mean, Cloud's got its own beauty, but there's nothing like being on the ground."

"You think so?" she wondered, her arm tightening with his since they were looped together. She moved closer, being mindful of her flowers, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I always like it because we have so many flowers."

"I bet you look beautiful among them." Kai said, looking down at her as they stopped beneath one of the willows. "I gotta say Izayoi, you're even more than what I remember. And I'd really like to take you out on another date tomorrow. I know I might seem eager…but I'm only here for a couple of weeks, so I want as much time with you as I can get." He rubbed the back of his head a bit nervously.

Izayoi just looked up at him, and her heart felt as if it might beat out of her chest. "I would…absolutely love that." She nodded. "I don't think it's eager or anything." Izayoi looked off for a moment, before meeting his gaze and leaning up to kiss his cheek. "I've had such a marvelous time…I don't want it to end." She sighed. "But I promised my father I would introduce you to him."

He smiled. "I know, and I don't plan on making you a liar. But before I go into what's sure to be a death trap…I would like to do something." He said softly, gently holding her chin as he looked down at her. He bent down then, hesitating slightly to give her time to change her mind.

She looked from his eyes down to his lips, becoming breathless. She'd never been kissed before and she was so nervous she had to words to describe how she felt. She wanted to kiss him, but was that improper to do on a first date? She inwardly berated herself, she was wasting too much time thinking about this. She had to decide before Kai pulled away and thought she didn't want to. She stepped forward in a bold move and felt his lips press against hers.

He refrained from smiling against her lips, instead taking the kiss nice and slow, so that she didn't get too freaked out. And after a few seconds, he pulled away to give her some air. "Alright, now I think I can meet your family." He smiled.

She returned his smile in kind and leaned forward to kiss him once more, this time surprising him slightly. His lips felt so wonderful and soft, she didn't know how one ever refrained from kissing their beloveds for long periods of time. Kai pulled her closer and deepened this kiss, of course he had to stop himself before things escalated too quickly. This was their first date after all, and he didn't want her to look back on this and think he had tried to take advantage of her. "We should get going, before I get carried away." He laughed, reaching up and stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

Izayoi blushed, realizing her brazenness, and looked off. "I apologize for…tempting you so and not restraining myself as well. It's just," she paused and took a deep breath. "It was my first kiss and it was more than perfect."

"I assumed as much." the white haired man said, turning her face back towards him. "And don't apologize. I will never be upset with you for being brazen, I promise." He smiled.

Her glow only grew. "Kai you make my heart swell." She giggled, before taking his hand in her own and beginning to walk with him back to her home.

"I'm glad. I was afraid that I liked you way more that you liked me." he admitted.  
>"Since you know, I've had a crush on you since we were kids. Which I realize is unrealistic, considering we barely knew each other, and people grow and change and whatnot. But every time a girl would start to show interest in me there was always this voice in the back of my head reminding me of you and telling me to wait, because it would all be worth it in the end." He said as they entered the Uchiha District. He looked down at her then. "And so far it's been more than worth it to get to be the cause of your smile."<p>

"That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." She laughed, the sound angelic. "I'm glad my brothers have been so protective of me now. I'll always remember you being the first boy to sneak into my grandfather's house. The first one ever to make me smile outside of my family, and now my first kiss." She sighed contently, before shifting a bit on her feet and lifting her free hand and messing with her hair. She was so unused to it being done up, and then something burned at the top of her thoughts. "Do you…do you really like my hair like this? I never have worn it up, and I just wanted to look beautiful for you, so you knew it was very thought out."

"I think it looks pretty." He told her, a small smirk coming to his face. "But honestly, I prefer it when it's down, only because nothing can stop me from running my fingers through it that way." he gave her a mischievous look. "Though, if we ever start to get too hot and heavy while you're hair is up, I can always undo it. Gently of course, so that it doesn't hurt."

Her cheeks flared with red and she gasped. "Kai! That's so inappropriate!" she scolded, turning and walking up the steps to her home. His stormy gaze instantly went to her rear, and he appreciated once more how well her dress fit her form. "That is most certainly talk for at least our third date." She informed him, before glancing back. "Well? Aren't you coming in?" she wondered, arching a dark brow and not bothering to hide her small smirk.

"Yup." He replied, bounding lightly up the steps after her. "Just enjoying the view." He winked.

Izayoi opened the door and peeked inside before allowing him in. She didn't see anyone, or hear them for that matter, but that wasn't exactly a good sign. She closed the door and looked around, reaching back and pulling the tie that held her hair up. She had liked wearing it up, but she felt more comfortable with it down, and now that she was back home she thought it was alright to unwind. Because of course, it had nothing to do with the fact Kai had said he liked her hair best while it was down. "Hello?" she called, heading towards the living room.

Kai followed her, and what they found were all five Uchiha males sitting in the living room, their varying green gazes trained on the entrance, though Hayate kept glancing around, as if he didn't fully understand why everyone was being so serious. Natsumi was off in her chair, reading a book as if she couldn't care less that her boys were all being idiots. "Hello Izayoi." Akito said, his arms crossed over his chest as he seemed to stare the two of them down. "Glad to see you finally decided to bring the hoodlum home to meet us."

Kai blinked, arching a brow at the name. "Hoodlum?"

"You're lucky I came home at all, we were having such a marvelous time in his hotel room." She goaded with a bit of exasperation.

"What?!" Kanamé and Noriaki stood, both looking furious.

Akito shot to his feet as well. "This is not the time for jokes Izayoi! I will kill him where he stands if that is true!" he declared, pointing to the ground.

The pink haired woman sighed and snapped her book shut as she stood. She hit Akito on the head with it as she passed him, and stopped before her daughter and Kai. "It's very nice to meet you…um…"

"Kai." He answered for her.

Natsumi smiled, and he could see just where Izayoi got her beauty from. "Very nice to meet you Kai. My name is Natsumi, I'm Izayoi's mother."

"It's nice to meet you as well." He bowed slightly. "And forgive me for saying this, but, you don't look old enough to be Izayoi's mother. In fact you can't be more than twenty-eight."

Akito scoffed. "Well she is. Idiot." He mumbled, pouting from his wife's treatment of him in front of the one person he was trying to intimidate.

Natsumi's smile grew. "Well thank you, I try to keep in shape. How else would I be able to keep up with my husband's unending libido and energy?" she smirked and glanced back at him, offering her hand to Akito. "Come sweetheart. Introduce yourself to our daughter's boyfriend."

Izayoi's cheeks darkened from her mother's words. "Mom…" she whispered, becoming embarrassed.

"Izayoi is too young for a boyfriend!" Noriaki protested.

"I agree." Kanamé nodded.

Kai arched a brow. "Then wouldn't that make you too young to be dating that Vitani girl?" he asked the elder triplet.

"It's not the same for boys." Akito snapped, walking forward and taking his wife's hand. "I'm Akito, the Seventh Hokage of Konohagakure, and the last person you will ever see before you die." He said with a narrowed gaze.

Kai blinked. "Um…okay…that sounds a little creepy, to be honest."

Izayoi sighed and watched her father, but he didn't tear his gaze away from Kai. She placed her flowers on a hall table beside her and stepped closer to Kai, bolding looping her arms with his as she smiled at her parents. "Unfortunately, this is as good as it's going to get." She told Kai by whispering in his ear and giggling softly.

Her brothers growled, almost like vicious animals, their jade depths boring hatefully into Kai. "So that's my mom and dad." She smiled and pulled him forward. "These are my brothers, Kanamé and Noriaki." She pointed to each as she introduced them. "As you can tell, or I don't know if you can, but we're triplets. The closest I know of." She grinned, before she moved her hand and her sand shoved them aside. "This is my younger brother Sanosuke and my baby brother Hayate."

"Hey." Sanosuke said, not moving from his spot on the couch.

"It's nice to meet you Kai!" Hayate smiled brightly, rising from his seat and shaking the white haired man's hand. "I'm glad you make Iza happy. I can tell cause' she has this glow around her." he said.

The white haired man blinked, the corner of his mouth tilting up slightly. "Thanks, I try my best."

Izayoi's blush only darkened and spread down her throat. "Hayate…" she looked off, wishing it wasn't so obvious the way he made her feel.

Natsumi clapped her hands together and looked around the room. "Would anyone like any dessert? Kai? Can I get you something to drink, or were you going to stay or head off for the evening?"

"Well I don't want to overstay my welcome, and my uncle is probably waiting for me to get back to the hotel. Plus I don't think glaring for long periods of time is healthy, so I think I'll head out." Kai smiled. "But thank you."

Sanosuke smirked. "You know he's talking about you idiots, right?" he asked, looking to his elder brothers and father.

Noriaki shifted his angry glare to his brother and began to shake him. "What are you so lax about Sano!? This man intends to unravel our precious sister! To penetrate her and devour her innocence! How can you sit by so casually while he plans this?!" he demanded.

Sanosuke pushed his brother off of him. "It's called careful planning and strategy Nori. I'll just kill him down the road and make it look like natural causes, all with Hayate's help."

"What?" Hayate asked, obviously confused.

The other boy smirked and sat back. "Yup. That way it all stays a mystery, I'm not the obvious blame, and Izayoi can go through the five stages of grief in a healthy way that won't turn her psychotic in the end." He summed up.

"Please." Natsumi scoffed. "Look at him." She gestured to Kai. "When he penetrates her she's going to love it."

"Mom!" Izayoi gasped. "Please!"

The older woman blinked, not seeming to understand what she said wrong. "What?"

"Yeah…I'm going to leave now." Kai said, becoming uncomfortable. He began to move towards the door then, tugging on Izayoi so that she came with him. "Come on Izayoi."

She looked after him and went, but not before flashing a glare at her younger brother in warning. Kanamé followed a bit, seeming wary. "Why are you leaving with him?" he asked, almost accusingly.

"I'm seeing him out and saying goodnight." She quipped. "Don't follow me."

Kai sent a victorious look back at the Uchiha males, before the two disappeared outside the door. And once it was closed behind them, Kai pulled her in close for a kiss. "That wasn't so bad." He murmured, keeping his mouth against hers.

She moaned into his wet cavern, deepening their kiss a bit. She'd never liked being caught off guard, but that was amazing, and she found she loved this surprise kiss of Kai's. "That was awful." She mumbled, but kept up their kiss.

"But necessary. I like them." he told her, threading his fingers into her hair, since she'd taken it down. "And I like you. A lot."

"I like you a lot too." She smiled, her eyes closing from the glorious feel of his hands running through her silky locks. "I promise I won't let my brother kill you…he's only trying to appear tough to Nori."

"I could tell by his posture that he didn't really care, so I'm not worried." Kai assured her, running his fingers through her dark tresses. "You have the most beautiful everything I have ever seen."

Izayoi blinked and stared at him. "I do?" she asked breathlessly.

He nodded. "Yeah. Everything about you is just exquisite."

"Thank you." She smiled and kissed him once more, lingering as long as she could before she pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow Kai." She waved as she went back to her house and then disappeared inside.

Kai smiled after her, shoving his hands into his pockets before walking off back towards his hotel, thinking of the ebony haired beauty the whole way. As he walked down the hallway leading to his room, he slowed, seeing Hikari standing outside her room with a man he'd never seen before. He grew suspicious, especially when she moved up onto her tippy toes and kissed his cheek, before entering her room. His stormy gaze narrowed as the guy turned with a pleased smile on his face. "What were you doing with my cousin?" Kai asked, obviously thinking the worst had happened while he was away.

The brunette blinked and stopped, taking in the sight of Kai before he grinned. "You must be Kai." He offered his hand out. "I'm Hideaki. I ran into Hikari today and she looked as if she could use some cheering up. So we spent the day together. I heard a lot about you."

Kai still looked suspicious as he shook the brunette's hand. "You didn't try anything with her, did you?"

"Of course not." Hideaki chuckled, though he appeared a bit devious. "I'm not so red blooded I cannot spend time with a girl with ill intentions in mind. I was simply walking her home."

He gave Hideaki a measured look, before he conceded with a slight smile. "Alright. I appreciate you taking care of her then." He nodded. "She's pretty delicate emotionally, so I'm glad she wasn't left to her own devices. That only ever seems to make things worse." He sighed.

The brunette nodded. "I could not agree more. Women left alone with their own thoughts does not bode well for any man. It was nice to be with her to say the least. I showed her around, we enjoyed ice cream. Though, I hear you had a much more interesting night from her. A date with the Uchiha Princess, hm?"

"Yeah." Kai smiled, remembering the date. "I met her psycho family, but it was worth it to get to make out with her. I'm taking her out again tomorrow night."

This seemed to spark Hideaki's interest in Kai. "Is that so? Stood up to the aggressive and insane Uchihas? Quiet impressive." He nodded. "Well Kai, I rather enjoyed your cousin's company. You too seem to be rather intriguing. If you're finding yourself bored, I would be more than happy to let us delve into a friendship. I could even introduce you to my friends."

"Sure, why not?" Kai shrugged. "Never hurts to have too many friends."

Hideaki chuckled. "Excellent. I believe we are to meet for an early spar tomorrow morning at eight, the regular training fields. They will be thrilled to meet you." He nodded and waved with a friendly grin. "I hope to see you soon Kai, I have a feeling we can be very good friends."

"See you then." Kai waved, before entering his room, glad today had worked out so well. And tomorrow was just going to be better, he could feel it.


End file.
